By Maria Hook (University of Otago) As we have previously noted on this blog, many areas of private international law benefit from international cooperation and harmonisation. The recovery of child or spousal maintenance is no exception. A person who seeks to recover maintenance from a person in another country may face significant hurdles. They may […]

By Jack Wass A recent High Court judgment demonstrates the real costs of New Zealand’s poor record on accession to international civil cooperation treaties. The Hague Service Convention was concluded in 1965 and enables the service of originating documents overseas for the purpose of civil proceedings. It has been signed by dozens of countries, and […]

By Jack Wass and Maria Hook Most practitioners and judges only encounter the conflict of laws (or private international law) intermittently. The subject can be seen as an arcane corner of civil procedure, or a set of complications that must be passed before getting to the real issues on the merits. However, Associate Judge Bell […]