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Megan Ball
BARRISTER
Areas of practice: criminal; public; law reform; regulatory and enforcement.
Megan has more than 20 years’ experience as a litigator and advisor in the public sector. She provides expert advice to government on complex legal and policy implementation issues, drawing on her experience across a broad range of statutory and regulatory frameworks.
Megan’s advice on significant law reform has included areas as diverse as criminal justice and sexual violence; health; energy efficiency; building and construction; and drinking water. She has particular expertise in identifying issues with the scope, workability and operational viability of reform proposals.
Megan began her career as a Crown Prosecutor and Senior Crown Counsel, working at the Palmerston North and Wellington Crown Solicitor’s offices. She appeared as sole counsel in more than 100 criminal jury trials in the District and High Courts and conducted regulatory prosecutions on a regular basis.
Megan subsequently gained considerable appellate experience as Crown Counsel at the Crown Law Office. During that time she regularly conducted complex criminal appeals as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal. She also worked with policy advisors and the Deputy-Solicitor General to provide Crown Law’s response to the review of victims’ rights legislation and guidance and the creation of new offences to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Megan has been a member of the Independent Bar since 2018. She was an instructor for the College of Law until 2020, teaching the Criminal Law Elective component of the Professional Legal Studies Course.
Megan has iwi affiliations to Whakatōhea, Te Arawa and Ngāi Tūhoe. She is in her fourth year of studying te reo Māori.
Qualifications
LLB, BA (Psychology), University of Auckland, 1995
Admitted as Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, 1995
Te Pōkaitahi Reo – Rumaki (Immersion, level 4), Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 2021
Memberships and achievements
Member, NZLS Law Reform Committee
Member, New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture
Member, Wellington Women Lawyers’ Association
Member, legal panel of the Kārori Citizen’s Advice Bureau
MAOR112 Wanawana te Tu, Māori Language 1B, Victoria University, 2019
MAOR111 Wana Te Wanawana, Māori Language 1A, Victoria University, 2019
MAOR102 Te Arumanaga/Elementary Māori Language, Victoria University, 2018
MAOR101 Te Tīmatanga/Introduction to Māori Language, Victoria University, 2018
Wellington Women Lawyers’ Association Mentoring Programme Co-ordinator, 2003-2004
Member, Wellington Women Lawyers’ Association Committee, 2003–2004
Member, Manawatu District Law Society Council, 1997–1998
Notable cases
- Morton v R [2013] NZCA 667, where the five appellants unsuccessfully appealed against their convictions for the group sexual violation of the complainant. At issue was the creditability of the complainant’s account.
- R v Kerryn Mitchell [2013] NZCA 583, consideration of the totality principle on a sentence appeal, in the context of multiple and serious breaches of a protection order by the appellant.
- R v T [2013] NZCA 505, a multiple issue appeal against conviction and sentence for sexual offending against five complainants.
- R v Wan Yee Chow [2013] NZCA 360, an unsuccessful appeal brought out of time against a 2006 murder conviction, on the primary ground that the appellant had been unfit to plead at the time of trial (junior to Solicitor-General).
- R v Tahitangatatarei [2013] NZCA 293, where it was argued on appeal that the photo montage identification evidence had been wrongly admitted by the trial judge.
- R v Afiafi [2013] NZCA 189, where a main ground of appeal was that the standard of interpretation of the appellant’s interview from Samoan into English had resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
- R v D [2010] NZCA 533, an appeal against conviction and sentence where the evidence given by the Crown’s medical expert at a sexual violation trial was unsuccessfully challenged by the appellant’s expert (not lead counsel).
- R v Kupa-Caudwell and Sullivan [2010] NZCA 357, where the appellants unsuccessfully appealed their convictions and sentences for murder and manslaughter.
- R v Hawea [2009] NZCA 127, one of the first appeals to challenge statements obtained by the police on the basis they were obtained under the influence of oppression, under s 29 Evidence Act 2006.
- R v G [2007] NZCA 546, a leading case on the Court of Appeal’s approach to cross-examining sexual violence complainants under s 44 Evidence Act 2006.
