Dr Matthew S R Palmer is one of New Zealand’s leading experts in public law. He specialises in litigation and advice challenging/defending decisions of government, Crown entities and public bodies.

At the bar, and as Deputy Solicitor-General (Public Law), Matthew has led argument in over 40 public law cases in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, and Waitangi Tribunal in relation to:

judicial review (eg local government, excise duty, education, immigration, regulation, health);

the Treaty of Waitangi;

taxation law;

resource management law;

constitutional issues, government liability and tort law;

competition, securities, commercial and trust law; and

civil procedure.

He was lead negotiator for the Crown in an international compensation claim for the MV Rena and in the first historical settlement of a Treaty of Waitangi land claim in New Zealand, by Waikato-Tainui.

Over ten years, as Deputy Secretary for Justice (Public Law) and as Manager and Economic & Financial Analyst at the Treasury, Matthew gained extensive experience in providing strategic, policy, economic and legal advice to Ministers, Cabinet and select committees in New Zealand.

Matthew was also Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of Law, and Director of the New Zealand Centre for Public Law, at Victoria University of Wellington for five years. He has written several books and many articles and chapters on New Zealand public law and law and economics, winning the Legal Research Foundation prizes for the best book in New Zealand law in 2008 and the best article in New Zealand law in 2005 and 2006. He has taught law at the Victoria University of Wellington Schools of Law and of Government, Hong Kong University Law Faculty, Yale Law School, the Australian and New Zealand School of Government and the University of Chicago Law School.

Matthew was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 1987. He has degrees in economics, political science and law from the University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington, and a Masters and Doctorate in Law from Yale Law School.