Simon Reeves

Simon Reeves is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and practices on his own account in Auckland, New Zealand. He holds a bachelor's degree of laws from the University of Auckland (1968) and master's degree of laws frm the University of Virginia (1969).

In 1970 he worked on the IUCN's Environmental Law Commission's computer project for environmental legislation in Bonn. That year he attended the 2nd International Conference of the World Wide Fund for Nature and the first National Conference on Environmental Law. From 1976 to 1979 he represented the Minister for the Environment on the Clean Air Council.

He was one of the twelve youth observers to the United Nations' Human Environment conference, Stockholm, 1972 and served as a member of the New Zealand Delegation to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992. For that conference he convened the Tamaki Makau Auckland UNCED Earth Summit Committee and co-convened New Zealand NGO Liaison UNCED Committee which both monitored the outcomes of that Conference. He also convened the New Zealand non-governmental response to the United Nations' conference Habitat II at Istanbul, June 1996. He has also been a national Vice-president and the Environment Officer of the United Nations Association of New Zealand and legal adviser to Friends of the Earth New Zealand Limited.

He has been a director of the New Zealand Biological Producers' (certifying organic) Council Inc. and was counsel in McKnight v. NZ Biogas Ltd., Uruamo v. Carter Holt Harvey Ltd., Prout Universal v. Nelson Regional Council, Kaimanawa Wild Horse Protection Soc. v. Attorney-General and Minhinnick v. Watercare Services Ltd. and a co-author of the Agricultural Chemical Trespass Bill before Parliament.

He is a director of the Earth Society Foundation of New York and of the International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms, former Chair of Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace and the Library, Public Issues, and Environment and Resource Management Committees of the Auckland District Law Society, an honorary member of the New Zealand Institute of Architects and a member of and legal adviser to the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand; former member, Investment Watch Aotearoa; Pakiri Landcare; and other groups.

In 1990 he received the Queen's New Zealand Sesquicentennial Medal. He is the author ofTo Honour The Treaty - The Argument For Equal Seats (1996)and numerous articles.