Title | Author | Director | Genre | Year | Useful-ness | Themes | Summary | References | Publisher | Original Year |
| "1840 The Treaty" in Voices | Stead, C.K. | | Poetry | 1990 | 2 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Land issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Law and religion | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Legal history | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | | History of the Treaty from different perspectives eg. "The Settler".
Maori contempt of the Treaty. Pakeha ignorance of Maori customs. Crown pre-emption Article 2- Pakeha religion dominating Maori custom. | pp 12-15 | G.P. Books, Wellington | |
| "1860 The Pakeha-Maori" in Voices | Stead, C.K. | | Poetry | 1990 | 3 | Land issues | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Legal history | Land issues | | History of the Treaty - Maori/Pakeha relations | | G.P. Books, Wellington | |
| "1990 At the Grave of Governor Hobson" in Voices | Stead, C.K. | | Poetry | 1990 | 3 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Distrust of the legal system | Legal jargon | | History of the Treaty.
Maori saying that the Treay is a fraud. | | G.P. Books, Wellington | |
| "A Ballad of the Deep South" in The Eye of King Cat | Martin, John | | Poetry | 1992 | 3 | Perceptions of judges | Legal history | Importance of jury | Sentencing issues | Common man facing the law | Cause celebre trials | Man alone on the run from the law | Injustice | | Poem based on McNeish's novel about Jock Mackenzie | pp 35-37 | Jaybee Press, Auckland | |
| A Sonnet for the City | Noonan, Diana | | Novel | 1992 | 3 | Perceptions of lawyers | Perceptions of judges | Law as entertainment/ drama/ drama | Plight of the underdog in the legal system | Sentencing issues | Corruption in the legal system | Politics and law | Public pressure on justice system can affect change | | Court scene - Student protest.
Importance of physical appearance- "what did one wear to a court hearing?" | pp 112-117 | McIndoe Publishers, Dunedin | |
| Amokura | Mitchell, June | | Novel | 1978 | 3 | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Law as entertainment/ drama/ drama | Land issues | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Legal history | Perceptions of judges | Importance of advocacy | | Land Claims 1860s-1870s - Otaki region.
Maori vs Pakeha concepts of land sale and ownership. Manipulation of legal proceedings. Maori customary law. Chaotic, unfair, and inadequate approach of the Native Land Court. | pp 75, 77-79, 82-85, 89-101 | Longman Paul, Auckland | |
| Another Man's Role | Grover, Ray | | Novel | 1967 | 2 | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | Perceptions of lawyers | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Judge as god | Elitism of the law | Witnesses | Sentencing issues | Politics and law | | Preliminary hearing at Magistrates' court - Murder trial - Convicted - Petition to prevent hanging is unsuccessful
Stereotypical perceptions: prosecution as solid, dull, dispassionate, factually based; Defence as rich, dramatic, passionate. Death Penalty issues. Role of Governor General. Chaotic nature of law (justice as a circus, judge as a clown). | pp 128-134 | Blackwood & Janet Paul, Auckland | |
| "Aperahama to Ngapuhi 1863" in Atua Wera | Smithyman, Kendrick | | Poetry | 1997 | 4 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Law and religion | | Papahurihia movement. | p 182 | Auckland University Press, Auckland | |
| "Baucke" in Selected Poems | Smithyman, Kendrick | | Poetry | 1989 | 5 | Treaty criticism/ issues | | Treaty of Waitangi. | p 144 | Auckland University Press, Auckland | |
| Black Sheep | King, Jonathan | King, Jonathan | Feature Film | 2006 | 5 | Importance of lawyers in times of grief | Contract law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | | Henry returns home after his father dies, looking to sell his share of the property to his older brother, Angus. Angus is secretly genetically engineering sheep. They draw up a contract.
Interpreting a will. | 10, 14, 31, 34, 39 mins | Livestock Films | |
| Both Sides of the Moon | Duff, Alan | | Novel | 1998 | 2 | Magistrate/ judge as the face of law | Speed of justice | Youth and law | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Absence of law | Sentencing issues | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | | Maori boy, retelling story of how he beat up a group of youth - Convicted - Sentenced to borstal establishment
Desire for a short trial seems more important than desire for justice. | pp 215-219 | Random House, Auckland | |
| "Box/Role/Dream" in Vivienne Plumb (ed) Red Light means Stop: Six Super Solos from Aotearoa New Zealand | Chanwau-Earle, Lynda | | Play | 2003 | 5 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Youth and law | Law as a tool of oppression | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Tino Rangatiratanga | | About a Maori man recalling his life in a borstal. Refers to a treaty preceding the Treaty of Waitangi which confers to his people specific rights. He wants to make the story of the treaty into a movie (showed it to Lee Tamahori). | p 45-49, 58 | The Women's Play Press, Wellington | |
| Brief Lives | Price, Chris | | Mixed genre | 2006 | 4 | Perceptions of lawyers | Importance of due process | Stereotypical tasks of a lawyer | Victim's rights | Sentencing issues | Routine of court procedure | | Absurdist murder trial (p102). Eclectic work.
Popular perception of lawyers working hard and absorbed in/ obsessed with the job. Insanity defence as a way to get off murder. | pp 67,69, 72, 93-94, 102-103, 138 | Auckland University Press, Auckland | |
| Burn my Head in Heaven | Pule, John | | Novel | 1998 | 4 | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | | Set in Auckland - concerning Pacific Islanders | pp 107-109 | Penguin Books, Auckland | |
| "Cameo at Court" in My Streetlamp Dances | Anker, Lorna Staveley | | Poetry | 1986 | 2 | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Distrust of the legal system | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Appearance of courtroom | | Court scene focusing on judges in the Court of Appeal gives a sense of the Court being boring, mundane - Island family in brightly colored clothes, waiting for a verdict in the corridor - Juxtaposition of tedious Pakeha legal system with Island culture | p 14 | Lorna Staveley Anker, Christchurch | |
| "Case of Who Murdered Who, The" in Stories From Te Awa Kairangi: Award winners from the Lower Hutt centenial short story competition | White, Becky | | Short Story | 1992 | 5 | Perceptions of judges | Sentencing issues | | Two people convicted in the Lower Hutt High Court. Incorrect legal reference (no High Court in Lower Hutt) Found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. | p 115 | Hutt Valley Community Arts Council, Wellington | |
| Cast Two Shadows | Rosier-Jones, Joan | | Novel | 1985 | 4 | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Land issues | | Maori/Pakeha relations. Set during 1978 Bastian Point protest. | pp 62-63 | Hodder & Stoughton, Auckland | |
| Cemetery Lake | Cleave, Paul | | Novel | 2008 | 2 | Perceptions of lawyers | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Court procedure | Importance of due process | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Vigilantism as justice | Importance of advocacy | Role of the media | Law and popular culture | Witnesses | Sentencing issues | | Set in Christchurch about a detective in Christchurch who enters into a downward spiral after an accident with a drunk driver destroys his family. He is later charged with drink driving and severely injuring the daughter of his lawyer. His lawyer seeks revenge. Tate is arrested and asks for a lawyer. Lawyer character Donovan Green plays a large role in the plot.
The more expensive the lawyer the better the lawyer. Lethal nature of cross-examination. Inferior nature of court appointed lawyers. Lawyer shoots client with a taser cf. Denny Crane in Boston Legal. Inaccessibility of legal documents to lay people. | pp 116, 138, 156-8, 195-6,212-4, 270-1, 276-8 | Random House, Auckland | |
| "change is necessary" in Stones in Her Mouth | Potiki, Roma | | Poetry | 1992 | 4 | Law as a vehicle to effect change | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Racism of the law | Politics and law | Legal history | Treaty criticism/ issues | | The necessity of change in the NZ legal and political system especially in relation to justice for Maori. | pp 34 | IWA Associates, Auckland | |
| Check To Your King | Hyde, Robin | | Novel | 1960 | 3 | Legal history | Importance of jury | Absence of law | Sentencing issues | | Colonial New Zealand - pre-1840 trial scene
Rudimentary nature of the early NZ legal system. | pp 108-111 | A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington | |
| Children of the Poor | Thompson, Mervyn | | Play | 1990 | 2 | Importance of advocacy | Perceptions of judges | Law and religion | Law as entertainment/ drama/ drama | Routine of court procedure | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Sentencing issues | Youth and law | Magistrate/ judge as the face of law | Criminal stigma | | Same storyline as novel as famous NZ novel by John A Lee.
(See Lee reference in database). | pp 82-98 | Hazard Press, Christchurch | |
| Claim, The | Marshall, Sally | | Novel | 1994 | 3 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Land issues | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Public gallery as audience | Youth and law | Natural law | Violence against women | | Waitangi Tribunal claim - Lesbian Maori Activist - Prison scene - Abusive relationships.
Prisoner's "justice" within the penal system. | pp 26-33,39-41,62-75 | Huia Publishers, Wellington | |
| Coal Flat | Pearson, Bill | | Novel | 1963 | 1 | Perceptions of lawyers | Law and religion | Court procedure | Cause celebre trials | Conducting own defence | Law as entertainment/ drama | Perceptions of judges | Role of the media | Youth and law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Natural law | Alienation from the legal system- working class | Use of law to discover truth | Importance of advocacy | Ethics | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Witnesses | Importance of jury | Adversarial nature of the legal system | | To do with a trial on the West Coast - A man has been accused of sexually abusing a student - He is a teacher - He is innocent and is found not guilty.
Lawyer's obligation to accept client. Examination in chief. Cross examination. Innocent man "gets off". | pp 323-326, 328-344, 346-353, 397-401, 409-410 | Paul's Book Arcade, Auckland | |
| Cork of War | Grover, Ray | | Novel | 1982 | 2 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Speed of justice | Land issues | Legal history | Unfairness of the legal system to women | | 1840s - Wellington region - Governor Grey - Early land purchases - Wairau - Te Rauparaha- Communal ownership of land versus individual title. Rudimentary nature of the early NZ legal system. | pp 128-135,148-155,220-227,236-247,308-309 | John McIndoe, Dunedin | |
| Cousins | Grace, Patricia | | Novel | 1992 | 5 | Law as a tool of oppression | Treaty criticism/ issues | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Arrest procedure | Legal history | Public pressure on justice system can affect change | | Pre 1850 trial scene in colonial New Zealand | pp 206-217 | Penguin Books, Auckland | |
| "Crime and Punishment" in Has Anyone Seen Shorty and other short stories | Sharrock, Edmund C | | Short Story | 1992 | 4 | Youth and Law | Mercy | Criminal stigma | Sentencing issues | | Trouble-maker university student using up his diversion | p 73 | E. Sharrock, New Zealand | |
| Crooked Earth | McGee, Greg, Shortland, Waihoroi | Pillsbury, Sam | Feature Film | 2000 | 1 | Absence of law | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Treaty criticism/ issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Racism of the law | Land issues | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Law as a tool of oppression | Frustration with the legal system | | Set against the background of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement for foresty rights on the East Coast of the North Island. A drug dealing gang reject the treaty settlement and try to create their own Maori revolution using violence. Law is powerless to intervene and eventually the dispute is resolved through violence, Maori against Maori. Specific representation of the Treaty Settlement process (at 43 mins). Specific reference to Treaty Settlements eg. Ngai Tahu (at 54 mins). Treaty Settlement process seen through Maori perspective. | 1, 20, 27, 31, 34, 40, 43, 54,56, 62, 93, 101 mins | Communicado in association with NZFC | |
| Deadlines | Gordon, Gaelyn | | Novel | 1996 | 5 | Importance of Advocacy | Sentencing issues | | A man facing a manslaughter charge - Suspended sentence.
Judgment by community v Court. | p 166 | David Ling Publishing, Auckland | |
| "Dear Mum" in Tama and other stories | Stewart, Bruce | | Short Story | 1989 | 2 | Perceptions of lawyers | Land issues | Perceptions of judges | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Politics and law | Land issues | Perceptions of law firms | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Parental pressure to go into law | | Tama is a senior partner in a law firm - Angry at Pakeha.
Comfortable life of rich lawyer in large firm- Pakeha injustices with regards to Maori land- Maori infiltrating Pakeha legal system to make changes for Maori. | pp 11-13 | Penguin Books, Auckland | |
| "Deposition" in The Dwarf and the Stripper | Sinclair, Stephen | | Poetry | 2003 | 4 | Sentencing issues | Legal history | Routine of court procedure | Law in literature within law in literature | Law as a tool of oppression | | Poem subjected to judgment, like a depositions hearing.
Law as the friend of some and enemy of others. | p 7 | Addenda Ltd, Auckland | |
| "dole-day warrior" in Te Ata Kura-the red-tipped dawn | Taylor, Apirana | | Poetry | 2004 | 5 | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Sentencing issues | Unfairness of the legal system to women | Violence against women | | About an unemployed, violent, criminal Maori. | p 57 | Canterbury University Press, Christchurch | |
| Dove on the Waters | Shadbolt, Maurice | | Novel | 1996 | 3 | Perceptions of lawyers | Unforgiving nature of martial law | Witnesses | Racism of the law | Cliche Cliche relationship between legal secretary and lawyer | Corruption in the legal system | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Speed of justice | Sentencing issues | | A lawyer pretends to sail around the world, but actually anchors in an isolated part of water and lives on his boat. Series of different stories united by narrator.
Dodgy lawyers. | pp 11, 115, 139, 170-171 | David Ling Publishing, Auckland | |
| Drybread: A Novel | Marshall, Owen | | Novel | | 3 | Perceptions of lawyers | Routine of court procedure | Feminism vs patriarchal system | Comparative law | Legal ramifications of divorce | Alienation from the legal system- costs | Man alone on the run from the law | Perceptions of law firms | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Role of the media | | About a woman who is involved in a custody dispute with the American father and is hiding her son in the back blocks of the South Island. Lawyer character is an American in NZ.
High cost of lawyers' fees. Traumatic nature of family law. Lawyers are unpopular as a breed, and the generalisation suited most of the individuals Theo had met". Statutory interpretation. Perceived bias in family court towards mothers. Comparative law (US/ NZ) | pp 12-13, 16-17, 78-79, 84-85, 115, 134-135 | Random House, Auckland | |
| Echoes of my Sisters | Alexander, Vonnie | | Novel | 1996 | 4 | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | Sentencing issues | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Appearance of courtroom | Role of the media | Trial scene - Told from perspective of female partner observing trial - Theft of drugs - Preliminary hearing in courtroom - Bill is found guilty - Doctor is friend who stole drugs to help Bill - Sentenced to 18 months imprisonment | pp 163-165 | Quoin Press, Christchurch | |
| Enemy Territory | Sandys, Elspeth | | Novel | 1997 | 1 | Law and religion | Role of the media | Appearance of courtroom | Court procedure | Law as entertainment/ drama/ drama | Land issues | Legal jargon | Perceptions of judges | Perceptions of lawyers | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Importance of advocacy | Witnesses | Law school | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Importance of jury | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Racism of the law | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Public/ admin law | Legal history | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | Unfairness of the legal system to women | Perceptions of law firms | Elitism of the law | Parental pressure to go into law | Legal ramifications of divorce | Distrust of the legal system | Use of law to discover truth | | Colonial trial - land dispute between Maori and Pakeha - about a male lawyer, from an upper class family, father who is a lawyer, with high expectations for his son - He marries, has a child, his wife finds an alternative lifestyle includingdrugs and adultery. The couple divorce and a court custody battle ensues. The estranged wife comes into her own, cleans up her act, and re-opens a case from early NZ legal history in which she believes a man was wrongly sentenced to death. She enlists the help of a Maori lawyer and the man is acquitted posthumously. The estranged couple get back together and it ends happily.
Ethics- lawyers have to take cases even if they don't like the client. Dickensian characters. Use of dramatic means to persuade. Advocacy issues (negligence cf "The Dream of Nikau Jam"). Vulture nature of the media in court hearings. Religious imagery in courthouse. Language barriers in court. Court as harsh and unwelcoming. Judge as lead actor, registrar and typist as supporting actors, jury as audience, media as Greek chorus, title of drama Grieve vs Grieve, lawyers as players, Bible as prop, stage as judge's podium. Legal fees. | pp 3-23, 55, 72-73, 77, 88, 125, 147, 192-193, 217-218, 228, 231, 234, 237-240, 299, 308-311, 313-317, 321-326, 332, 339, 347, 357, 363 | Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton), London | |
| "Evidence of the Grave, The" in Elizabeth Webby and Lydia Wevers(eds) Happy Endings: Stories by Australian and New Zealand Women 1850s-1930s | W.W | | Short Story | 1987 | 5 | Sentencing issues | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Necessity of confessions | Frustration with the legal system | | About a man being convicted of a crime and getting a harsh sentence and his friend gets a more lenient sentence for the same crime. Disproportionate sentencing. | p 27 | Allen & Unwin/Port Nicholson Press, Wellington | |
| Feathers of Peace | Barclay, Barry | Barclay, Barry | Doco drama | 2000 | 1 | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Law as a tool of oppression | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Injustice | Racism of the law | Legal history | Adversarial nature of the legal system | Routine of court procedure | Absence of law | | Doco drama with a mixture of historical fact and dramatic reconstructions. Follows the invasion of the Chatham Islands by the Maori, subjugation and massacre of the Moriori people and the subsequent unsuccessful struggle of the Moriori to have their land rights recognised by the Native Land Court. Features scenes of a Native Land Court hearing. Uses the dramatic technique of interviewing key historical figures in a mordern context.
Specific issues include Moriori customary law, law based on discussion (Moriori) versus law based on might (Maori), oppression of Moriori by Maori and Pakeha, native title, the inability of the law to prevent slavery, inflexibility of the Native Land Court. | 32, 33, 50, 58, 64, 66, 73, 75, 77, 78, 83, 89 mins | He Taonga Films | |
| First Offender | Berry, Ken | | Novel | 1980 | 2 | Importance of advocacy | Access to justice | Court procedure | Magistrate/ judge as the face of law | Corruption in the legal system | Perceptions of lawyers | Legal jargon | Sentencing issues | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Adversarial nature of the legal system | | Trial scene - Stereotypical white collar criminal who is miserable, rich, white - Misappropriation - Trying to buy justice | pp 8-11 | William Collins Publishers, Auckland | |
| Fools on the Hill, The | Lay, Graeme | | Novel | 1998 | 2 | Law students | Importance of Advocacy | Perceptions of judges | Conducting own defence | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Perceptions of lawyers | Sentencing issues | Politics and law | | Students are arrested for minor offence and a law student gets them acquitted - Trial scene where the law student is now a lawyer defending someone on a charge of obscenity.
Diversion. | pp 150-159,228-229 | Century Hutchinson New Zealand, Auckland | |
| Fracture | Parr, Larry (based on the novel "Crime Story" by Gee, Maurice) | Parr, Larry | Feature Film | 2004 | 5 | Law as a tool of oppression | Sentencing issues | Coercive power of the law | | One of the characters is found guilty of theft and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.
Severity of criminal sentences relating to property. | | Savuti Films | |
| Getting Away with it | Ireland, Kevin | | Novel | 2004 | 5 | Law as ineffective | Sentencing issues | Youth and law | | About a history professor with a dodgy past | pp 52-54, 105, 159 | Hazard Press, Christchurch | |
| "Haere Ki Te Moe Kirehe Porangi" in "Choice Meat" | Jowzi, Paul | | Poetry | 1983 | 5 | Hypocrisy of law | Law as a tool of oppression | Land issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Racism of the law | | Poem about social problems affecting Maori in NZ. | p 7-8 | Koha Maha Publications, Havelock North | |
| Harry Wakatipu | Lasenby, Jack | | Novel | 1993 | 4 | Perceptions of judges | Criminal stigma | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Sentencing issues | | Set in the Ureweras - Man is convicted for poaching - Courthouse scene where he tries to blame it on his horse | pp 31, 34 | McIndoe, Dunedin | |
| He Tangi Aroha | Taylor, Apirana | | Novel | 1993 | 1 | Law as a vehicle to effect change | Treaty criticism/ issues | Tino Rangatiratanga | Land issues | Role of the media | Legal history | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Racism of the law | Law students | Use of law to discover truth | Politics and law | Law as a tool of oppression | | Young Maori people learning about their culture and the injustices of the past - Reacting against it. World of urban Maori in 1990s.
Pakeha dishonoured by the Treaty- Spirit and principles of the Treaty dishonoured- Importance of Rangatiratanga- Maori Land Court- Law as a path to improve life for Maori- Maori contact with courts- (both working in the court system as a way of keeping up to date and involved in the process- and as offenders)- Pakeha destroying Maori religion, land, legal system, government- Maori customary law. | pp 12, 34-35, 41-43, 66, 74-76, 85, 91-92, 95, 106-110, 162, 172-173, 190, 193, 205, 214-215, 219-220, 239-242 | Huia Publishers, Wellington | |
| Heart of the Stag | Story by Firth, Michael, Screenplay by Illingworth, Neil | Firth, Michael | Feature Film | 1984 | 4 | Absence of law | Violence against women | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Vigilantism as justice | Law as ineffective | Suffering of victims of crime | | A film about a farmer (Robert) who is carrying out an incestuous relationship with his daughter (Cathy). A hired hand (Peter) falls for the daughter creating tension between him and his boss. The law is completely absent and justice is only achieved through the intervention of Peter. Robert is killed by a stag in the final scene while attempting to shoot Peter. The film juxtaposes idyllic farming scenery with the sordid domestic life of father and daughter.
Law failing to protect females, the gun imagery symbolising maintenance of order through violence. | | Southern Light Pictures | |
| "Her articles 1840" in Our Bay of Ensigns and Other 'Race' Relations | Gadd, Bernard | | Poetry | 2001 | 4 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Racism of the law | | Examination of the place of the Treaty in modern society - Different interpretations of the Articles of the Treaty | p 8 | HeadworX, Wellington | |
| House of Hogs, The | Keinzley, Frances | | Novel | 2004 | 4 | Law as a tool of oppression | Perceptions of lawyers | Alienation from the legal system- working class | Natural law | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Unfairness of the legal system to women | Perceptions of lawyers | Legal history | Treaty criticism/ issues | Land issues | | About a young woman who immigrates to NZ during the colonial period. She is getting a loan to buy a house.
Coverture in the 19th Century. | 3-6, 169-173, 194-195, 205 | National Pacific Press, Wellington | |
| Hymn to the Moon | Picard, Stephen | | Novel | 1990 | 1 | Corruption in the legal system | Sentencing issues | Injustice | Perceptions of judges | Perceptions of lawyers | Appearance of courtroom | Distrust of the legal system | Legal history | Natural law | | Shifts between Paris, London and NZ - About a wealthy socialite who is involved in a drug trial - She is living in NZ and reminiscing about the trial in England.
Refers to legal history eg. trials of Socrates, Joan of Arc, and Jesus. Perceptions of lawyers as crooks and hypocrites. | pp 106, 113-119, 122, 124-129, 144 | RSVP Publishing, Auckland | |
| "I Never Saw His Face" in South Pacific Street | Wilson, Phillip | | Short Story | 1984 | 5 | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Sentencing issues | Suffering of victims of crime | | Brutal beating in Wellington, of a Pakeha man by a by Maori man. | pp 1,4 | Pilgrims South Press, Dunedin | |
| "I try to imagine" in Stones in Her Mouth | Potiki, Roma | | Poetry | 1992 | 2 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Tino Rangatiratanga | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Racism of the law | | Treaty of Waitangi. | p 59 | IWA Associates, Auckland | |
| In My Father's Den | McGann, Brad novel by Gee, Maurice | McGann, Brad | Feature Film | 2004 | 5 | Property law | Importance of due process | Importance of advocacy | Common man facing the law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | | Paul, a war photographer returns to his NZ rural hometown when his father dies. Dividing up family property. Teenage girl goes missing. At first Paul is a suspect but turns out someone else was responsible for the girl's death.
Needing a warrant. | 7, 53, 54, 71, 80, 89, 102, 110 mins | THE Films/ Little Bird | |
| Jimmy Moran Regular | Catran, Ken | | Novel | 2005 | 2 | Perceptions of judges | Importance of jury | Law as a tool of oppression | Appearance of courtroom | Perceptions of lawyers | Court procedure | Distrust of the legal system | Sentencing issues | Witnesses | | Set during the Vietnam War. One storyline focuses on the protest movement and protestors being arrested. Out on trial for murder but found not guilty. In depth description of the trial, trial heard by Justice Wellbeloved, vicious prosecutor, crafty defence lawyer. | pp 120, 140-147, 151-155 | Lothian Books, Melbourne | |
| "Judge, The" in I'm Glad I Asked You That | Grant, A.K. | | Short Story | 1989 | 1 | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Public/ admin law | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal jargon | Women in law | Perceptions of judges | Separation of powers | Natural law | | Interview with a judge at his bach
Parliamentary supremacy- Judicial activism vs traditional approach. | pp 63-67 | John McIndoe, Dunedin | |
| Just Jane | Duncan, James | | Novel | 1996 | 2 | International Law | Importance of advocacy | Court procedure | Witness examination | Perceptions of lawyers | Law school | Treaty criticism/ issues | Women in law firms/ legal profession | Land issues | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Law as a vehicle to effect change | Law students | | Woman's career in the law - Environment Court - International Law - Comments on legal issues i.e. abortion, pollution - Bildungsroman
Women in law (juggling career and family) | pp 2,35-45,51-56,82-87,131-149 | James Duncan, Picton | |
| "Justice Denied" in Graeme Lay (ed) 100 New Zealand Short Stories | McVeigh, Chris | | Short Story | 1997 | 1 | Perceptions of judges | Feminism vs Patriarchal system | Perceptions of lawyers | Elitism of the law | Unfairness of the legal system to women | Women in law firms/ legal profession | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Sentencing issues | Routine of court procedure | | Ruthless sexist judge spends the day giving out harsh sentences. Attends a flashy law dinner, manages to lock himself out of his hotel and has to catch a taxi driven by the father of someone he had sentenced earlier in the day.
Lawyer as short story author. Stereotype of judge as stern, unfeeling, elite, impartial. Sexist nature of the legal profession. Law as an old boys club. Inability of the judiciary to identify with the accused. Insular elitism of the legal profession eg. bar dinners. Inability of judges to escape the reality of society cf. "Tooth and Claw". | pp 209-210 | Tandem Press, Auckland | |
| K Road | Dawe, Ted | | Novel | 2005 | 2 | Perceptions of judges | Witnesses | Appearance of courtroom | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Importance of advocacy | Role of the media | Sentencing issues | | Story about the Auckland underworld set on K Road. Characters get in trouble with the law. One main character is a court room journalist and observes a trial of a school principal on charges of downloading child pornography. Features character Roger King QC who is a powerful figure providing assistance when people get in trouble. Chapter 12 is an entire court room scene. | pp 45, 76-78, 104, 119, 171. | Longacre Press, Dunedin | |
| Killing Hour, The | Cleave, Paul | | Novel | 2007 | 3 | Law exploiting people's misery | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Sentencing issues | Suffering of victims of crime | | Crime story about a man who suffers memory loss and has been accused of killing two girls. Cynical cop who thinks the law is too lenient towards criminals. Frustrated by the law when trying to bring criminals to justice.
Law preying on people's misery "making money from evil". Criminals break the law and cops have to abide by every law in order to catch them eg. getting a warrant. | pp 14, 46-48, 106, 116, 118-119, 241-243. | Random House, Auckland | |
| Kingpin | Walker, Mike, Manuel, Mitchell | Walker, Mike | Feature Film | 1985 | 5 | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Youth and law | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | | Set in a child welfare centre. Focuses on the resident bully and his rivalry with the new boy. The training centre is attempting to rehabilitate youth offenders who are often from violent and broken homes.
Society's systems are not working for inmates. | | Morrow Productions | |
| Kitty | Challinor, Deborah | | Novel | 2006 | 3 | Law as a tool of oppression | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Treaty criticism/ issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Importance of advocacy | Perceptions of lawyers | Plight of the underdog in the legal system | Legal history | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | | Legal history, set during the mid 19th century, includes description of the signing of the Treaty. Maori chief swears utu against Wai for bringing whakama on the tribe by becoming pregnant. Detailed court scene in Sydney. The trial is about a charge against Kitty's love interest for failing to pay customs.
Comparisons between New Zealand and New South Wales. "It wasn't often the underdog triumphed over the might of the English judicial system, and when it happened it was always a cause for celebration". | pp 133-134, 142-144, 161-162, 247-263, 268-274 | Harper Collins Publishers, Auckland | |
| "Lament, For a North Island Land Association" in Dwarf with a Billiard Cue | Smithyman, Kendrick | | Poetry | 1978 | 5 | Personification of 'The Law' | Land issues | | Land issues in NZ | pp 60-61 | Auckland University Press, Auckland | |
| Land of Milk and Honey | Taylor, William | | Novel | 2005 | 2 | Absence of law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Routine of court procedure | Perceptions of lawyers | Witness examination | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Suffering of victims of crime | Youth and law | | English boy goes to live with a New Zealand boy during World War II. He is beaten up by the town bully who is subsequently sent to a borstal. | pp 57-8, 60-3, 100-3, 133-134, 137-41, 146-8. | Harper Collins Publishers, Auckland | |
| Land of the Lost, The | Satchell, William | | Novel | 1938 | 3 | Legal jargon | Court procedure | Cause celebre trials | Perceptions of judges | Sentencing issues | | Trial scene - murder trial | pp 288-289, 302-303, 307 | Whitcombe & Tombs, Auckland | |
| "Land Wars II- Motoua" in Hui | Glover, Marewa | | Poetry | 2001 | 3 | Law as a tool of oppression | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Racism of the law | Land issues | Treaty criticism/ issues | Alienation from the legal system- working class | | Motoua Gardens protest - Facts of this event
Police as the instrument of control used by the Pakeha establishment. Lack of recognition of Maori custom and court procedure. | p 41 | Marewa Glover, Auckland | |
| "Lawful Excuse" in Warm Beer and other stories | Crump, Barry | | Short Story | 1997 | 3 | Perceptions of lawyers | Youth and law | Sentencing issues | Distrust of the legal system | | Set in a prison - Stories of the different inmates - A man gets off charges on a technicality, and goes to grow magic mushrooms - collection of 'blokish yarns'
Viewpoint of accused of the law (ie. crooked lawyers, unjust accusations and decisions, underdog mentality) | pp 25-35 | Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers, Auckland | |
| Life on Earth | McCauley, Sue | | Novel | 2003 | 5 | Sentencing issues | Arrest procedure | | Arrest - Custody - Sentencing issues | pp 32-33, 36 | Random House, Auckland | |
| Lost Tribe, The | Laing, John | Laing, John | Feature Film | 1985 | 5 | Importance of advocacy | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Importance of due process | Man alone on the run from the law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Absence of law | | Murder suspect is Edward Scarry. Edward's anthropologist brother, Maxwell, disappears while searching for lost Maori tribe in Fiordland, mysterious links between brothers. Useful police questioning scenes. | 40 mins | Meridian Films | |
| Love and War | Sandys, Elspeth | | Novel | 1992 | 3 | Ethics | Perceptions of lawyers | Importance of advocacy | Appearance of courtroom | Land issues | Role of the media | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | | Court case about Maori land issues. | pp 118, 120-127 | Vintage New Zealand, Auckland | |
| "Maori Activist, The" in Never Alone | Morrall, Barry | | Poetry | 1986 | 2 | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Land issues | Law as a vehicle to effect change | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | | Pakeha response to a Maori activist.
Apparent equality between Pakeha and Maori in NZ- positive influence of Pakeha on legal justice vs rough Maori justice from early 19th century. | p 7 | B. Morrall, Wellington | |
| Maori Merchant of Venice Te tangati whai tawa o weneti | Jones, Pei Te Hurinui | Selwyn, Don C | Feature Film | 2002 | 5 | Not applicable as it is a translation of Shakespeare's play (English work). | This film is an interpretation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", performed entirely in Te Reo. The setting for the play is a fusion between pre-European NZ and 16th Century Venice. | | He Taonga Films Ltd | |
| Matriarch, The | Ihimaera, Witi | | Novel | 1986 | 2 | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Land issues | Law as a tool of oppression | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Legal history | Sentencing issues | Racism of the law | Treaty criticism/ issues | | Old woman's view of NZ history and the oppression of Maori by Pakeha - includes mention of Hamiora Pere cf Season of the Jew - Talks about different statutes affecting Maori cf Songs of the Judges | pp 172-173,234-245,314-339 | Heinemann Publishers, Auckland | |
| Mauri | Mira, Merata | Mira, Merata | Feature Film | 1988 | 4 | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Ethnocentrism | Politics and law | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Land issues | Elitism of the law | | Set in a small Maori village. About the dislocation of many Maori from their heritage. At 100 mins there is a scene where a Crown Minister meets with the Maori leaders to discuss the use of Maori land for a public institution. One of the main characters gets in trouble with the law.
Power to take land under the Public Works Act. Token nature of government consultation with Maori. | 100, 132 mins | Awatea Films | |
| "Men for Pieces" in British Drama League (ed) Further One-Act Plays | Targuse, V. | | Play | 1935 | 3 | Distrust of the legal system | Injustice | Corruption in the legal system | Criminal stigma | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Necessity of confessions | Frustration with the legal system | Importance of advocacy | Sentencing issues | Law as a game | Common man facing the law | | A falsely convicted man (Sam) returns home to his wife after twenty years in prison. The wife of the man who gave false evidence against him visits. She asks Sam to let her husband apologise as he lies on his death bed.
Possibility of the justice system convicting the wrong man. | pp 42-46, 48-50, 52 | National Magazine, Wellington | |
| "Mid-Winter Switch, The" in A Day at the Show and other stories | Sharrock, Edmund C | | Short Story | 1990 | 4 | Court procedure | Law as entertainment/ drama/ drama | Common man facing the law | Perceptions of judges | Sentencing issues | | Fraud trial | pp 48-49 | E. Sharrock, New Zealand | |
| Monday's Warriors | Shadbolt, Maurice | | Novel | 1990 | 3 | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Politics and law | Difference between civilian law and martial law | Unforgiving nature of martial law | Sentencing issues | Legal history | Land issues | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Racism of the law | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Man alone on the run from the law | | Novel set during the later stages of the NZ wars. Titokowaru's rebellion on the west coast of the North Island. At p 8 main character Kimball Bent is court martialed for disobeying orders and given a suspended sentence effectively allowing him to continue in the army. Bent shows disdain for the court cf Fairweather in Shadbolt's "Season of the Jew". Discussion at p 128 about whether Maori are subject to British law. | pp 8-11, 128-9 | Hodder & Stoughton, Auckland | |
| Music in the Listening Place | Rawlinson, Gloria | | Novel | 1938 | 5 | Land issues | Legal history | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | | Native Land Court | pp 182-183 | Cassell, London | |
| "New Zealand" in History Through Poetry | Young, Phil | | Poetry | 2007 | 5 | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal history | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | | Discusses early New Zealand legal history including the Declaration of Indepence and the Treaty of Waitangi. | p 30 | Sovereign Books, Hamilton | |
| Niu Sila | Armstrong, David and Knightly, Oscar | | Play | 2007 | 3 | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Appearance of courtroom | Distrust of the legal system | Perceptions of judges | Sentencing issues | Youth and law | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | | Delinquent Polynesian boys who get in trouble for under age drinking. Trial scene where judge gives Polynesian boy community service.
Intimidating summary of courtroom cf Boogie in 'Once Were Warriors'. | pp 40, 47, 58 | Thomas New House, Auckland | |
| Not So The Land | Owen, D.M. | | Novel | 1965 | 2 | Land issues | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal history | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Tino Rangatiratanga | Ignorance of the law | | An English lady comes to NZ to marry a colonist - Te Rauparaha - 1840s - Wairau - Meeting between Fitzroy and Te Rauparaha 1844.
Dubious nature of early land purchases. Maori concepts of justice involving utu and mana. Humanitarian appraoch to Maori. Marae-based justice. | pp 99, 146-147, 176-177, 182-183 | Robert Hale, London | |
| Other Halves | McCauley, Sue, from her novel "Other Halves" | Laing, John | Feature Film | 1984 | 2 | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Importance of advocacy | Perceptions of lawyers | Absence of law | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Elitism of the law | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Appearance of courtroom | Plight of the underdog in the legal system | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | | Focuses on the relationship between a middle class, 32 year old woman and a teenage street kid, Tug. Tug appears in court twice.
Arrogant aloofness of the legal profession. | | Orringham Ltd | |
| Out of the Blue | Tetley, Graeme with Sarkies, Robert | Sarkies, Robert | Feature Film | 2006 | 4 | Absence of law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Man alone on the run from the law | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Suffering of victims of crime | | 'Out of the Blue' is based on the Aramoana tragedy on November 13th 1990. David Gray shot dead thirteen of his neighbours including women, children, men and police officers. 'Out of the Blue' juxtaposes the darkness and evil of one man with courage of ordinary people in exceptional circumstances. | | Southern Light Films-Desert Road Films | |
| "Parihaka Grieving" in Just Poetry | Campbell, Alistair Te Ariki | | Poetry | 2007 | 3 | Absence of law | Law as a tool of oppression | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Injustice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Land issues | Legal history | Importance of due process | Racism of the law | | Poem about Parihaka. | pp 29-32 | Headworx Publishers, Wellington | |
| Parihaka | Hinchcliff, John | | Novel | 2004 | 1 | Appearance of courtroom | Law as a tool of oppression | Injustice | Treaty criticism/ issues | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Perceptions of lawyers | Elitism of the law | Politics and law | Separation of powers | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Importance of jury | Perceptions of judges | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Corruption in the legal system | Racism of the law | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Distrust of the legal system | Absence of law | Legal history | Land issues | | Detailed comprehensive story leading up to and at Parihaka. There is a scene in Parliament where politicians are debating the Maori Prisoners' Act (based on Hansard). Trial of the Maori fencers.
Lack of respect from Pakeha for Maori Customary law. Representatives of the law as educated and pompous. Oppressive legislation eg. Maori Prisoners' Trials Act. Link between NZ and English constitutions eg. Magna Carta. Breach of Habeas Corpus "the Hon William Stewart calmly reminded the House of the Habeas Corpus Act, an imperial statute which he said he assumed to be in force in the colony". "In the Magna Carta it is laid down most distinctly that justice should not be sold or delayed". | pp 24-5, 74, 96-7, 122-3, 148-9, 154-59, 198-200, 202-217, 219-20, 222-23, 273-75, 312, 323-329, 331-34, 346-7. | Steele Roberts, Wellington | |
| "Path of Honour, The" in John Kingston (ed) Pataka: Selected Short Stories by New Zealand Authors | Anon | | Short Story | 1936 | 4 | Distrust of the legal system | Injustice | Role of police in the criminal justice system | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Suffering of victims of crime | Role of the media | Role of police in the criminal justice system | Importance of due process | Confessions | Sentencing issues | | A detective surrenders himself for a crime he is not conscious of having commited. He in fact did not commit the crime and and the real culprit steps forward and takes the blame to prevent the detective being falsely convicted.
The legal system getting it wrong and possibly convicting the wrong man cf. Arthur Allan Thomas and David Dougherty. Importance of obligation and duty towards the law in the early 19th century. | pp 206-12 | K System Publishing, Auckland | |
| "Patrick and the Killer" in Fiona Kidman (ed) The Best New Zealand Fiction (Vol. 3) | Marshall, Owen | | Short Story | 2006 | 4 | Perceptions of lawyers | Role of the media | Corruption in the legal system | Sentencing issues | Ethics | | Main character Patrick talks down a murderer and becomes a hero. Reference to the high profile trial of the murderer.
Unethical defence lawyers. The power of the media in publicising the law. | pp 119-121 | Random House, Auckland | |
| "Patu Wairua" in Tama and other short stories | Stewart, Bruce | | Short Story | 1989 | 3 | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Land issues | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Individual rights vs public safety | Racism of the law | | Maori arguing with Pakeha - Protest.
Difficulty of Maori working for Pakeha government, and the problem of taking sides/ selling out. | pp 149-150 | Penguin Books, Auckland | |
| Paua Tower, The | Atkinson, Coral | | Novel | 2006 | 3 | Law as a tool of oppression | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Ignorance of the law | Perceptions of law firms | Role of police in the criminal justice system in criminal justice system | Individual rights vs public safety | Sentencing issues | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | | This novel is about left wing protest during the 1930s depression. Old woman about to be evicted. Government threat of sedition charge. Character convicted of manslaughter.
Governments using oppressive legal measures during times of emergency. | pp 14-15, 36, 83, 92-93, 232, 278, 280, 301, 311 | Black Swan, Auckland | |
| Plumb | Gee, Maurice | | Novel | 1978 | 1 | Law as a game | Magistrate/ judge as the face of law | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | Importance of advocacy | Perceptions of lawyers | Public vs private life of lawyers | Perceptions of judges | Coercive power of the law | Sentencing issues | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | Individual rights vs public safety | Law and religion | | Plumb is charged with Sedition during WWI - Pleads 'not guilty'- Trial scene where the lawyer won't let defendant (Plumb) speak in court - Convicted. Plumb's son becomes a judge.
Struggles of an idealist in the court system. Friends' influence to get legal help. | pp 153-163 | Faber & Faber Ltd, London | |
| Predicament | Morrieson, Ronald Hugh | | Novel | 1974 | 4 | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Sentencing issues | Common man facing the law | | Blackmail situation - Photo depicting a compromising situation. Small town setting. | pp 113, 210, 216-217 | Dunmore Press, Palmerston North | |
| Proud Diana, The | Rees, Rosemary | | Novel | 1962 | 5 | Land issues | Stereotypical tasks of a lawyer | | Maori Land Court | pp 78-81 | Wright & Brown, London | |
| Provocation | Grimshaw, Charlotte | | Novel | 1999 | 1 | Perceptions of lawyers | Law students | Law as a game | Importance of advocacy | Women in law firms/ legal profession | Violence against women | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Public vs private life of lawyers | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Law exploiting people's misery | Routine of court procedure | Witnesses | Clients | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | | Legal thriller narrated by a young female law student, Stella (22), who is having an affair with a charismatic and secretive criminal lawyer, Stuart (38). Together they are working on a high profile trial, trying to get their client, Carlos Lehmann, off a murder charge. Young female law student as sleuth cf Grisham's 'Pelican Brief'.
Virtually the entire novel is focused on law, making it one of the best examples of New Zealand law in literature. Much of the novel deals with Stella and Stuart investigating the facts surrounding the case. A technical definition of provocation appears on p 33. There is a minor character, Bernard Cracker, a larger than life criminal lawyer and Stuart's friend. | pp 1-282 | Abacus, London | |
| Queen City Rocker | Baer, Bill, from an original idea by Lymposs, Richard | Morrison, Bruce | Feature Film | 1986 | 4 | Alternative code of rules | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Youth and law | | About street kids in Auckland. They cross a powerful massage parlour owner who controls crime in that part of the city. | | Mirage Films | |
| Rainshadow | Jackson, Michael | | Novel | 1988 | 5 | Sentencing issues | Law and popular culture | | A man is convicted of a crime and imprisoned | pp 86-88 | John McIndoe, Dunedin | |
| Rewi's Last Stand | Hayward, Rudall based on "History of the NZ Wars" by Cowan, James | Hayward, Rudall | Feature Film | 1940 | 4 | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Politics and law | Land issues | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Legal history | | Set during the Waikato War. Focuses on the Battle of Orakau, Rewi Maniapoto's last stand. This is a later version of the earlier silent movie of the same name.
Limitations of the rule of law in 19th Century NZ. Arbitrary powers of the Executive (governor). | 9, 18, 20 mins | Frontier Films | |
| River Queen | Ward, Vincent | Ward, Vincent | Feature Film | 2005 | 5 | Legal history | Absence of law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Difference between civilian law and martial law | | Set during the NZ Wars. A pakeha woman gives birth to a child whose father is the son of a Maori chief. The child's grandfather kidnaps the child and the pakeha woman sets out to find him. She is caught between two worlds. | 15, 88, 89 mins | Silverscreen Films and The Film Consortium in association with Endgame Entertainment | |
| Sawdust Makers, The | Fraser, Jackie | | Novel | 2006 | 4 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Racism of the law | Perceptions of lawyers | Elitism of the law | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | | About a son who doesn't want to work in his father's sawmilling business and goes off to be a lawyer. The son has sympathy for Maori perspectives.
Lack of recognition of Maori communal land ownership. Discrimination of the law towards Chinese. Superficial trappings of law eg. flash clothes. Clash of generations regarding legal issues. | pp 28, 130-137, 181, 248-250 | Hazard Press, Christchurch | |
| Scarecrow, The | Heath, Michael, Pillsbury, Sam, based on the novel by Morrieson, Ronald Hugh | Pillsbury, Sam | Feature Film | 1982 | 4 | Importance of advocacy | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Corruption in the legal system | Violence against women | | A woman has been murdered by a sexual predator who then kidnaps another girl who is eventually rescued by her brother and his friends. As a subplot the brother and his friends steal some hens from the school bully who then chases them for revenge. | | NZ National Film Unit | |
| Season of the Jew | Shadbolt, Maurice | | Novel | 1988 | 1 | Legal history | Speed of justice | Law and religion | Perceptions of judges | Importance of advocacy | Witnesses | Manipulation of court system and jury | Vigilantism as justice | Perceptions of lawyers | Importance of lawyers in times of grief | Distrust of the legal system | Hypocrisy of law | Frustration with the legal system | Law as a tool of oppression | Inflexibility of the legal system | Law as route to power | Sentencing issues | Adversarial nature of the legal system | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Importance of jury | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Politics and law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Appearance of courtroom | Difference between civilian law and martial law | Unforgiving nature of martial law | Injustice | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | Ignorance of the law | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Racism of the law | Routine of court procedure | | About Te Kooti and his campaign on the East Coast during the 1860s - Ends with the trial of Hamiora Pere on the charge of treason (Chapter 33).
Readiness to lie in court. Appearances important (decide the day). Manipulation of evidence and argument. Legal strategy. Prendergast as a 'devious monster'. | pp 42, 83, 94, 106-107, 111, 141, 303, 389, 432-435, 438, 442, 444-445, 447-467 not exhaustive | Hodder & Stoughton, London | |
| Shark that Ate the Sun, The - Ko e Mago he Kai e La | Pule, John | | Novel | 1992 | 3 | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Sentencing issues | | Pacific Islanders in the law - includes letters between Niue and Auckland.
Pacific Islanders always as the offender. | pp 36-41,275, 280, 287 | Penguin Books, Auckland | |
| Sleeping Dogs | Mune, Ian, Baysting, Arthur (based on the novel "Smith's Dream" by Stead, C.K.) | Donaldson, Roger | Feature Film | 1977 | 3 | Absence of law | Corruption in the legal system | Role of police in the criminal justice system | Confessions | Common man facing the law | Man alone on the run from the law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Law as a tool of oppression | Politics and law | Unforgiving nature of martial law | Importance of due process | Individual rights vs public safety | Use of violence by legal system | | Smith leaves the city and becomes a recluse after his wife leaves him for his best friend. He lives in the bush in the Coromandel and gets framed by revolutionaries. Although he is apolitical he becomes a guerilla fighting the facist government. He is eventually shot by the army while on the run. Early scene shows street riot- police versus protesters.
Breakdown of rule of law in the face of excessive arbitrary facist power. Visual media foreshadowing true historical events eg. Springbok riots of 1981. Necessity of confessions to avoid execution cf "The Crucible". | | Aardvark Films | |
| Smash Palace | Donaldson, Roger | Donaldson, Roger | Feature Film | 1981 | 3 | Role of police in the criminal justice system | Corruption in the legal system | Importance of advocacy | Violence against women | Legal ramifications of divorce | Distrust of the legal system | Appearance of courtroom | Common man facing the law | Man alone on the run from the law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | | Former racing driver, Al Shore, has a marriage break up. His wife runs off with his best friend. Wife takes anon-molestation order against Al. Al is beaten up by the police. He kidnaps his daughter and goes on the run. He eventually surrenders after taking a hostage and attempting to kill his policeman friend. | | Aardvark Films | |
| Smashed | Hager, Mandy | | Novel | 2007 | 1 | Importance of advocacy | Importance of due process | Appearance of courtroom | Role of the media | Perceptions of lawyers | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Feminism vs patriarchal system | Perceptions of judges | Natural law | Law and popular culture | Women in law firms/ legal profession | Violence against women | Sentencing issues | | Young adult novel about a young Chinese boy whose sister is raped and the culprit is later severely beaten. The Chinese boy can't remember if he did the beating due to intoxication. His lawyer, Sandra, is the main legal character.
Influence of popular images of law on TV. Fictional characters reflecting on popular perceptions of the law within another fictional work. | pp 54-55, 130-131, 136, 140-142, 144-148, 155-156, 168-174, 202-5, 219-222, 226, 267 | Random House, Auckland | |
| Smith's Dream | Stead, C.K. | | Novel | 1971 | 3 | Law as a tool of oppression | Adversarial nature of the legal system | Obstructive nature of government | Use of violence by legal system | Importance of due process | Common man facing the law | Individual rights vs public safety | Politics and law | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Man alone on the run from the law | Vigilantism as justice | | About a Fascist take-over in NZ.
Suspension of due process, basic liberties. | pp 40, 46-47 | Longman Paul, Auckland | |
| Snakeskin | Ashurst, Gillian | Ashurst, Gillian | Feature Film | 2001 | 4 | Absence of law | Perceptions of lawyers | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Absence of law | Law students | Law as route to power | | Alice is looking for adventure. Jonny tags along. Alice picks up Seth hitch hiking. Seth seems to be her dream man but turns out to be a drug dealer. On the run from the law in the NZ country side cf "Goodbye Pork Pie" and "Mark II". | 7, 17, 19, 37, 40, 46, 65, 72 mins | Cowgirl Productions | |
| So Shines a Good Deed | Sutherland, J.H. | | Novel | 1992 | 5 | Sentencing issues | Perceptions of lawyers | Difference between civilian law and martial law | | Military law situation | pp 13-14 | Sutherland, Morrinsville | |
| "Songs to the Judges" in Selected Plays | Thompson, Mervyn | | Play | 1984 | 1 | Legal history | Treaty criticism/ issues | Land issues | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Tino Rangatiratanga | Racism of the law | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Perceptions of lawyers | Legal jargon | Perceptions of judges | Magistrate/ judge as the face of law | Judge as God | Powerful judges | Distrust of the legal system | Injustice | Hypocrisy of law | Law as a tool of oppression | Corruption in the legal system | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Law as a game | | Collection of songs about Maori and the law directed at the New Zealand Judiciary. Satirical.
1) Ahi Kaa - Lack of recognition of traditional Maori concepts of land ownership 2) The Law Song- oppressive nature of subsequent land statutes, insensitive racist judiciary. 6) We got it all together just for you - injustice of invasion of Parihaka, use of arbitrary law, injustice of arresting Rua Kenana. 9) The Raglan golf course dispute - the court's lack of respect for Maori customs, rigidness of the Pakeha legal system, court in favour of the Pakeha elite. 10) Once in a generation - Pakeha legal system backed up by force eg Parihaka and Bastion Point "Once in a generation the gavel turns into a gun" 12) Three times more likely - Maori discriminated against by the criminal justice system. 14) Scales of Justice - Lack of empathy towards Maori from Pakeha judge 15) I spit on your court - conflict between Maori and Pakeha legal system, lack of respect for Maori by New Zealand legal system. 16) The Judge's Reply - Law as a protector of "civilisation" | pp 154-185 | Pilgrims South Press, Dunedin | |
| Sons for the Return Home | Maunder, Paul | Maunder, Paul | Feature Film | 1979 | 5 | Law as a tool of oppression | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Racism of the law | Access to justice | Use of violence by legal system | Injustice | Importance of due process | Individual rights vs public safety | | Sione, a Samoan, falls in love with a pakeha girl, Sarah in NZ. Their relationship ends and Sarah has an abortion. Focuses on discrimination of Pacific Islanders in NZ. There is a scene focusing on National Government dawn raids where Sione's family gets raided.
(Dawn raids during the 1970s looking for Pacific Islander "overstayers"). | 60 mins | Pacific Films | |
| Spin, The | Anon | | Novel | 1996 | 4 | Perceptions of lawyers | Perceptions of law firms | Importance of advocacy | Law as a game | Politics and law | Role of the media | Treaty criticism/ issues | | Political Spin Doctor who was a lawyer | | Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers, Auckland | |
| Spinners | McCarten, Anthony | | Novel | 1998 | 4 | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Sentencing issues | | Young girl thinks she is pregnant to aliens and gives interview about it to get money for friend's bail | pp 240-241, 245 | Vintage, Auckland | |
| "Stealing Rinso" in Desert Shores and other stories | Bilbrough, Norman | | Short Story | 1999 | 4 | Judge as face of the law | Access to justice | Sacrifice of human element for fact and procedure | Law as a tool of oppression | Hypocrisy of law | Alienation from the legal system- working class | Perceptions of judges | Sentencing issues | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | | From husband's point of view - Woman caught stealing - Trial in front of Magistrate - Fined 10 pounds | pp 146-148 | Canterbury University Press, Christchurch | |
| "Storms" in Graeme Lay (ed) The New Zealand Book of the Beach | Grimshaw, Charlotte | | Short Story | 2007 | 4 | Perceptions of lawyers | Parole | Youth and law | Sentencing issues | Public vs private life of lawyers | Suffering of victims of crime | | Business woman begins a relationship with a divorced barrister and QC named Rob. He is not the normal lawyer stereotype.
Her ex-husband suffered a violent attack from a young thug who was released into the community soon after. The offender goes on to murder a man in an allusion to the real life criminal case where an older man allegedly made sexual advances on a younger man and the defence of provocation was used (David McNee case, Auckland 2004) | pp 143-5 | David Ling, Auckland | |
| Street Legal | McGee, Greg | Bailey, Chris | TV mini-series | | 1 | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Perceptions of lawyers | Role of police in the criminal justice system | Role of the media | Court procedure | Law and religion | Importance of jury | Ethics | Corruption in the legal system | Parental pressure to go into law | Youth and law | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Man alone on the run from the law | Vigilantism as justice | Witnesses | Manipulation of court system and jury | Common man facing the law | Clients | Effect of legal proceedings on close friends and family | Criminal stigma | Law students | Elitism of the law | Sentencing issues | Adversarial nature of the legal system | Appearance of courtroom | Arrest procedure | Importance of due process | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Necessity of confessions | Public vs private life of lawyers | Importance of lawyers in times of grief | Perceptions of judges | Frustration with the legal system | Distrust of the legal system | Coercive power of the law | Legal ramifications of divorce | The way lawyers view the law | Importance of advocacy | Legal jargon | Eccentric lawyer stereotype | Glamorous lifestyles of legal professionals | Racism of the law | Access to justice | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Women in law firms/ legal profession | Feminism vs Patriarchal system | Violence against women | | "Street Legal" is New Zealand's most popular legal drama, running for four seasons. The television series concentrates upon the career of David Silesi, a Samoan lawyer in Auckland. Silesi is always involved in interesting and bizarre cases, acting for underdog clients. Taking on these cases often involves Selesi in romances, shoot-outs, car chases and punch-ups. A large segment of the show is set in Silesi's chambers, providing the viewing public with one perspective of a lawyer's working day. While Silesi's office is no ordinary one, it is a more accurate reflection of the reality for most lawyers than trial scenes.
Mentoring of junior solicitors. Drug law. The role of the Law Society. Law and religion for eg. withholding of medical treatment on religious grounds. Client confidentiality. Law practice politics and judicial corruption. | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 mins 2 episode | Screenworks | |
| "Takaparawha (Bastion Point)" in Karanga | Williams, Haare | | Poetry | 1981 | 5 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Racism of the law | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Land issues | Use of violence by legal system | | Bastion Point protests. | p 31 | Coromandel Press, Coromandel | |
| "Te Ara Makutu" in Huia Short Stories | Kaa, Wi Kuki | | Short Story | 1995 | 5 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Inaccessibility of the law- costs | Land issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Alienation from the legal system- working class | Access to justice | Law exploiting people's misery | | Son of a working class Maori has to go to court and is struggling to afford the costs. Details Maori family history in which there is a feud over land incorrectly given out by the Maori Land Court. Criticism of the token approach to race relations taken by the bureaucracy.
Divisive nature of the Maori Land Court. Law undermining relationships rather than strengthening them. Different interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi. | pp 52-3 | Huia Publishers, Wellington | |
| Te raukura = The feathers of the albatross: a narrative play in two acts | Dansey, Harry | | Play | 1974 | 2 | Legal history | Land issues | Racism of the law | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Injustice | | Set in the middle of the New Zealand Wars - Discussion between the paternalistic, authoritarian Governor Grey and the humanitarian, pro-Maori Chief Justice Martin - This discussion concerns the fairness of the way Maori have been treated with regards to land- Martin advocates law and order through impartial justice for both Maori and Pakeha. | pp 22-25 | Longman Paul, Auckland | |
| Te Rua | Barclay, Barry | Barclay, Barry | Feature Film | 1991 | 3 | Perceptions of lawyers | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Treaty criticism/ issues | | About Maori trying to get precious taonga back from a German museum. Leading patent lawyer, Rewi Marangai is involved with an anti-hacking patent in Berlin. Eventually the carvings are returned. Rewi is jailed. One of only two examples of Maori lawyers in NZ feature films. Both Maori lawyers are guilty of illegal acts.
Specific issues include intellectual property and Maori, civil disobedience, portrayal of Maori lawyers. | 8, 25, 28, 45, 46, 50, 60 mins | Pacific Films | |
| "Te Whiti and The Pakeha" in Thirty Poems | Mitcalfe, Barry | | Poetry | 1960 | 4 | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Land issues | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Vigilantism as justice | Legal history | | Te Whiti - Parihaka | p 17 | Hurricane House, Auckland | |
| Thousand-Eyed Eel: a sequence of poems from the Maori Land March 1975 | Lindsay, Graham | | Poetry | 1976 | 3 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Law as a tool of oppression | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Racism of the law | Tino Rangatiratanga | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Land issues | Legal history | Politics and law | | Maori Land March | | Hawk Press, Christchurch | |
| "three balls" in Our Bay of Ensigns and Other 'Race' Relations | Gadd, Bernard | | Poetry | 2001 | 2 | Treaty criticism/ issues | | Treaty of Waitangi - The Treaty as something that can be manipulated to suit the ruling powers or aims of different groups | p 57 | HeadworX, Wellington | |
| "Treaty" in Jesus Hobo | Beyer, Tony | | Poetry | 1971 | 4 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal history | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | | The unfairness of the Treaty signing process | p 19 | Caveman Press, Dunedin | |
| "Treaty Talk and Relic" in Atua Wera | Smithyman, Kendrick | | Poetry | 1997 | 3 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal history | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | | Treaty of Waitangi issues -controversy.
Treaty as a fraud- Maori anger over Treaty. | p 255 | Auckland University Press, Auckland | |
| Ugly, The | Reynolds, Scott | Reynolds, Scott | Feature Film | 1997 | 5 | Role of the media | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Court procedure | Ethics | Sentencing issues | | Karen a psychologist is trying to prove that murderer Simon is cured. Simon was unfit to stand trial and was admitted to an asylum. He ends up killing two of his caregivers in the asylum and tries to kill Karen. | 36, 39 mins | Essential Films | |
| Union Belle | Challinor, Deborah | | Novel | 2005 | 3 | Law as a tool of oppression | Politics and law | Elitism of the law | Corruption in the legal system | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Legal history | Individual rights vs public safety | Importance of due process | | The Huntly coal mine strike of 1951 (striking in support of the waterfront workers). The government introduces emergency regulations. It is about unions battling the government.
Governments using oppressive legal measures during times of emergency. | pp 18, 53, 134, 172-3 | Harper Collins, Auckland | |
| Utu | Murphy, Geoff, Aberdein, Keith | Murphy, Geoff | Feature Film | 1983 | 1 | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Legal jargon | Vigilantism as justice | Difference between civilian law and martial law | Unforgiving nature of martial law | Legal history | Land issues | Tradition of British/ Pakeha legal system/ institution | Use of violence by legal system | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | | A kupapa Maori deserts the colonial forces after they destroy his village and vows utu. He kills a farmer's wife, three British soldiers and some civilians. He is hunted through the bush by Lieutenant Scott and then eventually caught and summarily tried in a military trial conducted by Scott. Sentenced to be executed by firing squad. Different parties fighting over who gets to kill him. Eventually his brother carries out his execution according to Maori custom. Trial scene at the end of the movie.
[Te Wheke, Maori leader: "I took up arms against the Pakeha because I could no longer believe in pakeha justice. Shoot me but do not talk of justice or mercy"] Use of common legal terms eg. "without prejudice". | 108, 118 mins | Utu Productions | |
| Valiant Love | Myers, Martha Washington | | Novel | 1941 | 5 | Land issues | | Colonial NZ love story - Melodramatic romance.
Law as a vehicle for romance. | pp 210, 211, 213 | A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington | |
| "Waitangi I" in Hui | Glover, Marewa | | Poetry | 2001 | 4 | Tino Rangatiratanga | Treaty criticism/ issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | | Waitangi Day protest | p 33 | Marewa Glover, Auckland | |
| Waitmate Conspiracy, The | Lewis, Stefen | Lewis, Stefen | Feature Film | 2006 | 1 | Injustice | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Importance of advocacy | Corruption in the legal system | Perceptions of judges | Importance of evidence in criminal conviction | Perceptions of lawyers | Land issues | Treaty criticism/ issues | Distrust of the legal system | Law students | Court procedure | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Ethnocentrism | Women in law firms/ legal profession | Legal history | Treatment of Maori and Pakeha under the law | Adversarial nature of the legal system | Use of trial as dramatic construct | Ethics | | Features the Kepa family's ongoing legal battle to regain their tribal land which was unlawfully stolen in 1866. Zena, a law graduate takes on the task to represent the Kepa family. They claim that the land was seized in an act of aggression. Important court scenes showing the legal battle against the McKendrie family who occupies the land. In the first court scene Zena tries to argue using hearsay evidence which ultimately fails. When appealing they argue on historical documented evidence which they had manufactured and forged. The Kepa family win the legal battle. The title of ownership is transferred immediately. One of only two representations of Maori lawyers in NZ feature film. Numerous discussions about the admissibility of evidence. Focuses on legal ethics.
Young Maori lawyer fighting for her people. Stereotypical stern older white male judge. Controversial nature of Maori land claims cf "Crooked Earth". Rookie lawyer triumphs over experienced lawyer cf Grisham, misrepresentation of land claim settlement process. Reference to specific act Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. Difficulty in cross examining history in a court cf Waitangi Tribunal. Rejection of Maori oral history as evidence. Planting of evidence to win case cf "Beyond Reasonable Doubt". | 3, 5, 12, 24, 25, 27, 31, 37, 39, 40, 48, 54, 60, 78, 79, 83, 85 mins | Dark Horse and Hazard Press | |
| "Waxeye's Challenging Flight, The" in Perspective Poems | Mehlhopt, Raymond | | Poetry | 1989 | 3 | Importance of jury | Nature used as a contrast to law | Perceptions of judges | Sentencing issues | | About a jury trial - References to nature interspersed between jury trial descriptions - Each comparison juxtaposes nature with the jury situation.
Issues surrounding jury service (eg. lost wages, challenges, frustration, boredom). | pp 22-24 | Seagull Press, Christchurch | |
| "Whaea Kairau" in Kohunga and Whaea Kairau: Mother Hundred Eater | Taylor, Apirana | | Play | 1999 | 5 | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal history | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Tino Rangatiratanga | | About events occuring soon after the treaty. | pp 96-7 | Pohutukawa Press, Auckland | |
| "Whakarongo" in Ki Te Ao: new stories | Taylor, Apirana | | Short Story | 1990 | 3 | Land issues | Treaty criticism/ issues | Legal history | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | | About the Treaty - Maori people learning about their culture.
Native Land Court issues- Use of cases eg. NZMC 1987. | p 10 | Penguin Books, Auckland | |
| Whanau II | Ihimaera, Witi | | Novel | 2004 | 2 | Elitism of the law | Law as route to power | Legal history | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | Sentencing issues | Alienation from the legal system- Maori | Traditional legal concepts of Maori | Racism of the law | | About someone researching the trial of Hamiora Pere. Two young Maori discovering themselves and their whakapapa and the way in which their race was oppressed by Pakeha law. | pp 43, 94-5, 102-105, 112-3, 159-161, 221 | Reed Publishing, Auckland | |
| Where Rivers Meet | Leary, L.P. | | Novel | 1989 | 3 | Legal history | Maori justice vs Pakeha justice | isolated rural area in NZ beyond the power of the law | Criminal stigma | Corruption in the legal system | Perceptions of judges | Importance of jury | Witnesses | Legal jargon | | Historical fiction, doctor convicted of killing father, innocent. | pp 5-10,98-100 | Southern Lights, Auckland | |
| "Witness Man, The" in Palms and Minarets | O'Sullivan, Vincent | | Short Story | 1992 | 3 | Importance of advocacy | Witnesses | Law as a game | Alienation of Pacific islanders from the legal system | Racism of the law | Role of police in the criminal justice system | Hypocrisy of law | Corruption in the legal system | Importance of jury | | Witness in a rape trial.
Manipulation of the legal system to enable the guilty to get off. Alienation of the witness, feeling out of place and trapped in the stand. Lawyer trying to manipulate the witness. Prejudice towards poor, untidy, male, Islander cf well dressed, middle class female. | pp 96-107 | Victoria University Press, Wellington | |