Oliver has a broad range of litigation experience in both criminal and civil matters. He appears in the District Court and High Court frequently for clients facing criminal charges and has appeared as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and in specialist tribunals in a wide variety of matters, including in complex commercial cases.

 Oliver joined the bar in 2021, after working in commercial litigation at Chapman Tripp and as a legal aid criminal defence lawyer at the Public Defence Service. Oliver is also editorial director of election website Policy.nz and writes regularly for various publications, including The Guardian, North & South, The Listener and The Spinoff.

Oliver is approved to take direct instructions and to provide legal aid services for civil claims and for criminal matters to a PAL1 level.

Areas of expertise

  • Examples of Oliver’s experience in civil litigation include:

    • Appeared as junior counsel in proceedings before the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court regarding the sale and purchase of a dairy farm and involving claims in negligence, deceit, and under the Fair Trading Act.

    • Appeared as junior counsel for a claimant seeking recognition orders at the High Court under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

    • Appeared as junior counsel in declaratory judgment proceedings before the High Court and Court of Appeal regarding the Department of Conservation’s powers to authorise shark-cage diving under the Wildlife Act 1953.

    • Assisted senior counsel in a significant contract law case before the High Court involving a US$40m debt claim.

    • Assisted senior counsel in an application before the Māori Land Court for the exercise of the Chief Judge's special powers in relation to rights in the Titi Islands.

    • Acting for a non-governmental organisation in declaratory judgment proceedings before the High Court regarding public access rights and roading law.

  • Oliver has represented a large number of clients charged in criminal proceedings since 2017, especially in the Wellington, Hutt Valley and Porirua District Courts. Oliver has also assisted senior defence counsel on complex criminal trials and appeals, including on a high-profile homicide case in the Wellington region.

  • Examples of other matters Oliver has worked on include:

    • Assisted senior counsel in advising various public entities and professional bodies.

    • Advised, alongside senior counsel, a national sporting body on its obligations in relation to athletes under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

    • Assisted senior counsel in investigating complaints about a public body on the instruction of a government minister.

    • Acted as junior counsel for an Olympics non-selection challenge before the Sports Tribunal.