Commercial Litigation

Mr Hughes-Johnson is available to provide advice and conducting hearings, including the conduct of appeals in the higher courts.

Local Government

Advice (including to local authorities) in relation to responsibilities/duties of local authorities ad local government liability issues and acting in litigation relating to these matters. 

Recent cases in which Mr Hughes-Johnson has been involved have included a claim for damages against a local authority alleging breaches of duties in nuisance and negligence and acting as senior counsel for a board chairman in Property Ventures Limited (In Receivership and Liquidation) and others v Forbes and others CIV-2012-409-002486, involving alleged breach of directors’ duties and alleged auditor’s negligence.

Mr Hughes-Johnson has wide experience in professional ethics/disciplinary matters.  He was a member of the Canterbury District Disciplinary Tribunal for a period and has advised practitioners in relation to a range of ethical matters.

APPEALS

Mr Hughes-Johnson acted as counsel for a practitioner before the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal and later in the High Court the appeal which followed in Withers v Standards Committee No.3 of the Canterbury Westland Branch of the New Zealand Law Society [2014] NZHC 611. 

Mr Hughes-Johnson was appointed by the Crown to act as senior counsel in the appeal before the Court of Appeal in Van Soest v Residual Health Management Unit [2000] 1 NZLR 179, involving issues of negligence, medical treatment and damages.

Mr Hughes-Johnson has appeared in a number of successful appeals in the appellate courts including acting for the Association of Dispensing Opticians of New Zealand Inc. in Association of Dispensing Opticians of New Zealand Inc v Opticians Board [2000] 1 NZLR 158.

He acted as senior counsel in an appeal against a refusal to grant judicial review in Just One Life Limited v Queenstown Lakes District Council [2004] 3 NZLR 226

He was also senior counsel in the Supreme Court appeal Cashmere Capital Limited v Carroll and others [2010] 1 NZLR 577.