Meet Greg King
Greg King works at the gritty end of our justice system, and he
has represented some of New Zealand's most notorious
killers: Clayton Weatherston, John Barlow, Bruce Howse.
The Privy Council in London has only ever granted leave to
appeal 11 New Zealand criminal cases. Greg King has presented
three of them.
Since the establishment of our Supreme Court there have been just
two successful murder appeals. Greg King presented both.
Although known for his criminal defence practice, Greg is
passionate about fairness, equity and access to the law. He is an
advocate for a criminal cases review commission, is strongly linked
to debates on legal aid and the victims' rights, and is vitally
interested in public and constitutional law.
The law runs in King's blood. His father was a prison officer who
was on duty the day Arthur Allan Thomas was pardoned.
Admitted to the Bar in 1993, King started his career assisting
Judith Ablett-Kerr QC in the notorious Calder 'poisoned Professor'
case. They worked together again on the Peter Ellis case and last
year defended murderer Clayton Weatherston - a case that caused
public outcry and changed our laws on provocation.
Since starting his own practice in 1996, King has sometimes
polarised public opinion, especially for the legal aid budgets his
cases have attracted. It's his entusiasm, charisma and
formidable intellect that he brings to an area he believes the
public doesn't truly understand.
As the host of The Court Report he wants to create a forum where
key players go to talk frankly and honestly about what's really
going on in our justice system.
Greg King says this new series gives him a chance to take the
public behind the scenes of the headlines, into a world he's
passionate about and to really explain why these legal issues are
so relevant to us all.
