School of Law

School of Law

Dr Chris GallavinDr Chris Gallavin

Position

Senior Lecturer
Director of Postgraduate Studies

Qualifications

  • LLB (Hons) (Canterbury)
  • PhD (Hull)

Room

Room: 523, 5th floor, School of Law

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 364 2987
Extension: 8350
chris.gallavin@canterbury.ac.nz

Postal address

School of Law
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch
New Zealand

Background

Chris Gallavin joined Canterbury as a Lecturer in Law at the beginning of 2005. He obtained an LLB degree, first class honours, from the University of Canterbury.

In 2001 Chris was awarded the Freyberg, New Zealand Defence Force, Scholarship and a full tuition and maintenance award from the University of Hull, England. This enabled him to read for a PhD at the University of Hull in international criminal law. After having taught English and Welsh domestic criminal law and international law at the University of Hull for two years he returned to New Zealand to take up his current position at Canterbury.

Chris’ research interests lie in the broad area of criminal justice. In particular, Chris is interested in the development of the International Criminal Court and the application of prosecutorial discretion on the international and domestic stage.

Active Research

  • Prosecutorial Discretion of the International Criminal Court
  • Terrorism and international law
  • Comparative aspects of domestic criminal law
  • The law of Evidence.

Recent Publications

Further publications and CV

Thesis

  • The International Criminal Court: Friend or Foe of International Criminal Justice?, Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, University of Hull, England. Successfully defended 8 December 2004

Books

  • Evidence (Wellington, LexisNexis, June 2008) pp 320 + v-xxxviii

Book Chapters

  • The International Criminal Court: Friend or Foe of International Criminal Justice?, Chapter 9 in R. Brownsword (ed.), Global Governance and the Quest for Justice: Volume IV: (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2004), p. 137-150

  • ICC investigations and a hierarchy of referrals: has genocide in Darfur been predetermined?, Chapter 13, in R. Henham and P. Chalfont (eds.), The Criminal Law of Genocide: International, Comparative and Contextual Perspectives (Oxford: Ashgate, 2007), 157-165

Articles

  • Is the Structure of the International Criminal Court Flawed? (2003) vol. 6 HRL&P 197-209
  • Article 53 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: In the Interests of Justice (2003) 14 KCLJ 179-198
  • Contemporary Problems in International Criminal Law (Review Article) (2004) 11(4) International Peacekeeping Journal
  • The Security Council & the ICC: Delineating the Scope of Security Council Referrals and Deferrals, (2005) 5 New Zealand Armed Forces Law Review, 19-38
  • Vitiating Consent to Sexual Activity [2005] October New Zealand Law Journal 341-342
  • The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and a Post September 11 Morality, (2005) 8.1 Yearbook of New Zealand Jurisprudence 163-192
  • Prosecutorial Discretion Within the ICC: Under the Pressure of Justice, (2006) 17.1 Criminal Law Forum, 43-58
  • New Zealand Military Operations, (2006) 6 New Zealand Armed Forces Law Review, 128-142
  • The Value of an LLB: Comparative Perspectives Between New Zealand & England and Wales, Co-authored with Ass. Prof. Richard Scragg (Canterbury University, New Zealand). Journal of Commonwealth Law & Legal Education 4(2) (2006) 123-136
  • New Zealand Military Operations, (2007) 7 New Zealand Armed Forces Law Review, 104-117
  • Fraud Vitiating Consent to Sexual Activity: Further Confusion in the Making, (2008) 23 New Zealand Universities Law Review, 87-110
  • N. Boister & C. Gallavin, ‘Concluding Comment : Pacific ‘Super Courts', in Boister & Costi (eds.), Droit Pénal International dans le Pacifique: Tentatives d'Harmonisation Régionale / Regionalising International Criminal Law in the Pacific (New Zealand Association for Comparative Law/Association de Législation Comparée des Pays du Pacifique, Wellington, 2006), p. 241

Reports

  • Gallavin based on a paper by Professor Gerald Orchard, Evidence for the New Zealand Law Society and Council of Legal Education, 3045 words, April 2007 and update May 2008
  • Gallavin, Dorset and Young, ‘Addendum Report to Scoping Study for the Pacific Judicial Development Programme Benchbook Project', as funded by NZAid and AUSAid, 198 pages, March 2008. Including in-country missions to Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands

Conferences/Paper Presentations

  • ‘The International Criminal Court: Friend or Foe of International Criminal Justice?' Paper presented at the International Conference, ‘Global Governance and the Search for Justice' April/May 2003, University of Sheffield.
  • ‘A Post September 11 Morality & the Devil You Know or the Devil You Don't?' Paper presentation at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, April 2004.
  • ‘Prosecutor Discretion under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court', Paper presentation at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, April 2004.
  • ‘A Post September 11 Morality; a “Paradigm shift” in Human Rights Ideology?' Paper presentation for ‘The United States and Global Human Rights' Conference, hosted by the Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford, November 2004.
  • ‘Prosecutorial Discretion: The ICC's Unprecedented Authority' Conference paper presentation, Australia and New Zealand Society of International Law (ANZSIL), Canberra, June 2005.
  • ‘Justice & the International Criminal Court' Community paper presentation, The University of the Third Age, Christchurch, New Zealand, June 2005.
  • ‘United Nations Reform, Is 2005 a turning point for world politics?' Community presentation and panel of experts public discussion, United Nations Association of New Zealand', July 2005.
  • ‘The Stupefaction of the Law of Genocide through the strangling of the International Criminal Court's Jurisdiction' Paper presentation for the international conference ‘The Criminal Law of Genocide – International, Comparative and Contextual Aspects. Nottingham Trent University, England. September 2005.
  • ‘Judicial Review of the Security Council by the International Criminal Court; Fact or Fiction', Inaugural Lecture to the Newcastle Human Rights Research Group, University of Newcastle, England, 6 September 2005.
  • ‘The LLB of New Zealand & England and Wales; A comparative analysis' Paper presentation at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association Conference, Greenwich, England, 10 September 2005.
  • ‘The International Criminal Court – Pressures and Potential' Conference paper presentation at the 2005 New Zealand Armed Forces Law Conference “Ending Impunity”, Trentham Military Camp, Wellington, New Zealand, 15 October 2005.
  • ‘Terrorism and International Law' Community presentation for the WEA Association, Christchurch New Zealand, 26 October 2005.
  • ‘Criminal & Civil Culpability under New Zealand Law for Extreme Sexual Practices' Paper presentation for the New Zealand BDSM society, 26 November 2005.
  • ‘Consent in Sexual Crimes: Legislative Reform: Fraud: When Love turns to Crime' Paper presentation to the Criminal Bar Association of Canterbury Inc, Christchurch, New Zealand, April 2006.
  • ‘International Criminal Law in the South Pacific: New Directions', Conference paper presentation with Associate Professor Neil Boister, at the 2006 Australia & New Zealand Society of International Law Conference (ANZSIL), Wellington, New Zealand, June 2006.
  • ‘To Taser or not to Taser?', Invited panellist, public debate on the merits of Police use of Tasers, Christchurch, New Zealand, September 2006.
  • Invited academic, The Police Foundation and Oxford University's Centre for Criminology, Oxford Policing Policy Forum, ‘Police Governance and Accountability', All Souls College, University of Oxford, England, 9 November 2006.
  • ‘Prosecutorial Discretion in the ICC; The Decision to Prosecute, Theory and Practice', Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway Ireland, 13 November 2006.
  • ‘How to avoid culpability for murder - kill 20,000 and not 1: The Prosecution of Crimes in the International Criminal Court', St. Anne's Lectures on Global Governance and Diplomacy, University of Oxford, 21 November 2006.
  • ‘Sexual Offence Legislation in England and Wales and New Zealand: How does one define a sexual act?', 121st Law School Research Seminar, School of Law, University of Exeter, England, 6 December 2006.
  • Guest Speaker, Human Rights Film Festival, Christchurch, New Zealand, May 2007 and 2008.

Media Liaison

  • Interview; National Radio, Radio New Zealand, ‘Window on the World' Documentary on the International Criminal Court. 20min interview with presenter Bryan Crump on the United States' objections to the ICC
  • Expert opinion; K. Welham & L. Bleakley, ‘Kiwi Iraqis under a shadow', The Press, 6 May 2005
  • Expert opinion; K. Welham, ‘Legal duty to pursue Iraqis – law expert', The Press, 7 May 2005
  • Opinion piece; ‘A Failure to Prosecute Criminals, Unjust?' The Press, Christchurch, New Zealand
  • Opinion piece; ‘When feelings are irrelevant', The New Zealand Herald, 13 March 2006
  • Expert opinion; One Network News, Television New Zealand, 4 June 2006, lead story, 6:00pm News
  • Expert opinion; S. Oldham, ‘Bain's Privy hope ammunition for court doubters', Otago Daily Times, 8 June 2006
  • Expert opinion; ‘Decision ammunition for critics of NZ Supreme Court', The New Zealand Herald, 8 June 2006
  • Expert Opinion; ‘New Zealander's appeal to be heard in Cambodia rape case', Radio Live, news report contracted to major commercial radio stations, 22 June 2006
  • Expert Opinion; Police Discipline, Plains FM Radio Station, 5 March 2007
  • Expert Opinion; Repeal of s59 of the Crimes Act 1961, Plains FM Radio Station, 12 March 2007
  • Expert Opinion; Operation Hammer, Police Blitz on Burglary, NewsTalk ZB Radio Station, 13 April 2007 and live news interview, 16 April 2007
  • Expert Opinion; ‘Operation Hammer, Police Blitz on Burglary', Radio Live, news report contracted to major commercial radio stations, 13 April 2007
  • Expert Opinion; One Network News, Television New Zealand, 11 May 2007, lead story, Bain Case Retrial, 6:00pm News
  • Expert Opinion; Broadcasting School, CPIT, Death after power cut off, 29 May 2007
  • Expert Opinion; One Network News, Television New Zealand, 21 May 2007, lead story, Bain Case Retrial, 6:00pm News
  • Expert Opinion; I. Steward, ‘Bain Book Re-released' The Press, 26 July 2007. Further reported by the Nelson Mail, Marlborough Express, Waikato Times and Greymouth Evening Star
  • Expert Opinion; Three News, TV3, 26 July 2007, Book Warning, 6:00pm News
  • Expert Opinion; NewsTalk ZB, ‘Juror Fined for Failing to Appear', 1 August 2007
  • Expert Opinion; ‘Academic says riot charges unlikely to stick', The Press, 1 September 2007
  • Expert Opinion; ‘Booze ban caps Hogg's bad week', Sunday Star Times, 2 September 2007
  • Expert Opinion; ‘New Zealand Terror Raids', In studio interview, Metro News, C TV, 18 October 2007
  • Expert Opinion; New Zealander fakes his own death', Radio Live, news report contracted to major commercial radio stations, 5 February 2008
  • Expert Opinion: Kahui verdict, Radio New Zealand (Jim Mora show, live), 22 May 2008
  • Expert Opinion: Kahui verdict, 96.1 FM, 22 May 2008
  • Expert Opinion: ‘No treatment for child's HIV', The Press, 24 May 2008
  • Expert Opinion: Kahui, Gwaze, Nicholas – is there something wrong with our prosecution system?, 96.1 FM, 29 May 2008
  • Expert Opinion: Council to refund parking tickets, 96.1 FM, 19 June 2008