Simone is a specialist medico-legal lawyer with 25 years’ litigation and advisory experience across health law, criminal law and public law. She has conducted over 50 jury trials for the Crown in the High Court and District Courts and has a wealth of experience in medico-legal matters, having spent the past 10 years working as an in-house legal counsel at Health New Zealand I Te Whatu Ora.
Simone’s expertise in medico-legal matters includes advising and appearing in the High Court on Guardianship applications under the Care of Children Act 2004; applications in the High Court for declarations under the Declaratory Judgments Act 1908 for the lawful withdrawal of life support; applications for Treatment orders under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988; Human Rights Review Tribunal cases; and coronial inquests.
Simone has provided extensive advice to organisations on requests for information from the Coroner and has drafted numerous responses to such requests and responses to provisional findings of the Coroner.
Simone has advised extensively on Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights issues and has helped organisations to draft responses to complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner.
She has extensive experience in privacy and official information issues and is very familiar with the Health Information Privacy Code 2020, providing on-the spot advice to organisations on responses to disclosure requests under this Code.
Simone has advised organisations on policies and has drafted policies for organisations in relation to medico-legal issues such as informed consent and capacity.
Simone has a particular interest in public health and population-level issues such as disease control and has provided extensive advice on these issues to the National Public Health Service.
More recently Simone has commenced representing health professionals in relation to complaints and disciplinary matters at the instruction of various insurers.
Advising and appearing in the High Court on Guardianship applications under the Care of Children Act 2004.
Applications in the High Court for declarations under the Declaratory Judgments Act 1908 for the lawful withdrawal of life support.
Applications for Treatment orders under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988; Human Rights Review Tribunal cases; and coronial inquests.
Advising organisations on requests for information from the Coroner and drafting responses to provisional findings of the Coroner.
Advising on Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights issues, helping organisations to respond to complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner.
Advising organisations on privacy and official information issues under the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
Advised on public health and disease control issues to the National Public Health Service.
Advising on professional indemnity insurance matters in relation to complaints made to professional bodies.
They drive our client relationships and connections with our community, and underpin our achievements.