The Attorney-General, Hon Margaret Wilson, announced today the appointment of Terence Arnold QC as the Solicitor-General. Mr Arnold will replace John McGrath QC, who has been appointed to the Court of Appeal.

Mr Arnold currently practices as a barrister, based in Wellington. He was previously a partner in Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young. He has studied and taught law in universities in New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

Ms Wilson said Mr Arnold brought to the Solicitor-General's role considerable experience in litigation.

"The Solicitor-General is the Government's chief adviser, and its chief legal advocate, and manages the Government's interest in cases before the courts or cases that may proceed to court. Mr Arnold has the depth and range of experience, in litigation, for that role.

"Mr Arnold also has a highly-developed conceptual understanding of the role of the law in public administration, public management, and in civil society," Ms Wilson said.

Mr Arnold has taught law at the University of Calgary, where he was a visiting professor in the mid-1980s. He has also taught at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, the University of Windsor in Ontario, and at Victoria University of Wellington.

He was a partner of Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young between 1985 and 1994. He was a staff solicitor in that firm between 1982 and 1985. He is a member of the Market Surveillance Committee of the New Zealand Electricity Market. He was a founding member of the Law and Economics Association of New Zealand. He was president of the Association in 1996-97. Mr Arnold has also been heavily involved in litigation skills training for young lawyers.

Mr Arnold has a BA and two LLM degrees - from Victoria University and New York University - and was appointed a QC in 1997.

Mr Arnold will take up the position of Solicitor-General on 16 October. In the meantime, Ellen France - who is the Deputy Solicitor-General (public law) - is the acting Solicitor-General.
The Solicitor-General is also the Chief Executive of the Crown Law Office, which comprises about 120 staff and has annual operating revenue of about $31 million.

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