It may not be the race to be Prime Minister of the UK, but the race is on to succeed retiring Crown Solicitor Brian Dickey who announced he would be resigning the role at the end of the year.
Meredith Connell, who hold the Auckland warrant, said they have three partners who have signaled their interest in being the Queen City’s next Crown Solicitor.
The applications need to go to the Crown Law Office for necessary approval, while the CLO itself is advertising the role.
Meredith Connell have put their most unified face forward saying that the three contenders, Alysha McClintock, Brett Tantrum and Robin McCoubrey “have the full support of MC’s partners, its 160 prosecutors and litigators, and one another.”
Brian Dickey has held the warrant for nearly eight years. The selection of his replacement is expected to take some months although the lead contender at this stage appears to be Alysha McClintock, according to legal sources.
The MC Contenders
Alysha McClintock has been a member of the Crown team at MC for some time, most recently handling lead role in the prosecution of Eli Epiha, the defendant in the fatal and near fatal shooting of police officers in Auckland in 2020.
Her other recent matters have included R v Harnwell [2021] NZHC 2549, assisting the Coroner in the Masjidain Inquiry, R v Te Maru [2020] NZHC 2084 and Commerce Commission v Steel & Tube [2020] NZCA 549.
Brett Tantrum is a highly experienced prosecutor having handled dozens of District Court and High Court trials, as well as appellate matters. He also spent six months as Acting Crown Prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2006, as part of an exchange programme.
Recent matters have included R v Cant [2022] NZHC 692, R v Heremaia [2022] NZHC 443, Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections v Mark Chisnall [2021] NZHC 32, R v Murray & Ors CRI 2012-004-18344 and R v Quistorff CRI 2012-004-003051.
Robin McCoubrey is a Cambridge graduate who has been prosecuting crime and handling appellate and other matters for the Crown since 2016 when he became an MC partner.
Prior to that he worked as a barrister in London with Kings Bench Walk.
Mr McCoubrey’s recent matters have included R v B [2022] NZHC 1366, R v Kempson [2020] NZHC 2929, R v Marinovich [2020] NZHC 1160, NZDF v Conrad Lipa-McLean (Court Martial) and R v Fakaosilea and ors [2018] NZHC 3362 (“Operation Cincinnati”).
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