Jonathan Temm
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Temm B.A.
, LL.B (Hons) (Auck) is a New Zealand
Barrister
living in Rotorua
. In April 2010 he became the President of the New Zealand Law Society
.
. He was educated at St Peter's College
. He went overseas for seven years from 1980 to 1987 and worked in different jobs before returning to New Zealand
to pursue a future in the law. He studied law at the University of Auckland
and graduated in 1992 with honours. He won the Geoffrey Powell Prize and the Stout Shield for mooting while studying. He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor at High Court
in Auckland on the 11 June 1993. He is the son of the late Justice Sir Paul Temm, a Judge of the High Court of New Zealand. Jonathan Temm and his wife, Lynnelle, have five children aged from 8 to 18, Daniel, Paige, Matthew, Grace and Olivia. Temm loves cycling and is a keen fisherman and golfer.
. He wants to see legislation and health funding in place that will protect New Zealand children in the long term. He sees the drivers of child abuse
in New Zealand as including "society's attitude to alcohol and the freedom of it and the increasing fractured nature of our families and a myriad of other things including drug abuse, mental health issues, financial strain and all of these things". "What happened then is that the fourth Labour government
was elected and new right economic theory took sway. The Roger Douglas
market theory was being applied and the statutory monopoly, that used to exist for Plunket and Karitane
, was eroded and eventually done away with. So our preschool childcare was significantly dented". Temm has challenged the New Zealand Government to put the money where it is needed. "If you are serious about child abuse in New Zealand, you must pick up the challenge of the pre-school childcare through the health system and a number of other things could be leveraged off that. Every single child born in New Zealand should have his or her birth registered and the entire country should be divided into quadrants and every child, before the age of three, should be the responsibility of a Plunket or Karitane nurse and everything would leverage off that service". Temm is also concerned about the Sentencing Act 2002. He believes that that Act is not working because "at least 70 per cent of criminals behind bars suffering a mental disorder of some kind" With it costing between $50,000 and $100,000 annually to keep someone in jail he asks whether the country is properly dealing with the people in the community if such disorders are not adequately treated.
As New Zealand Law Society President Temm believes the biggest issue facing the Society is public and political criticism of the legal profession. He says that while he has confidence that most New Zealand lawyers are performing extremely well, there are some people in the profession who are not holding to the well-established rules of professional conduct and ethics that the profession expects. Temm says the Law Society will take a firm stance with any misconduct.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, LL.B (Hons) (Auck) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
living in Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
. In April 2010 he became the President of the New Zealand Law Society
New Zealand Law Society
The New Zealand Law Society is the parent body for barristers and solicitors in New Zealand. It was established in 1869, and regulates all lawyers practising in New Zealand...
.
Personal
Temm was born in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. He was educated at St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
. He went overseas for seven years from 1980 to 1987 and worked in different jobs before returning to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to pursue a future in the law. He studied law at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
and graduated in 1992 with honours. He won the Geoffrey Powell Prize and the Stout Shield for mooting while studying. He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor at High Court
High Court of New Zealand
The High Court of New Zealand is a superior court of New Zealand. It was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court of New Zealand until 1980....
in Auckland on the 11 June 1993. He is the son of the late Justice Sir Paul Temm, a Judge of the High Court of New Zealand. Jonathan Temm and his wife, Lynnelle, have five children aged from 8 to 18, Daniel, Paige, Matthew, Grace and Olivia. Temm loves cycling and is a keen fisherman and golfer.
Career
Temm began his career at Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young in Auckland from 1993 to 1995. He joined Davys Burton in Rotorua in 1995, becoming a partner and "Senior Crown Counsel" before starting up as a barrister sole specialising in criminal and civil litigation at Phoenix Chambers in 2005. He was a Council member of the then Waikato Bay of Plenty District Law Society from 2000 to 2003 and 2005 to 2009 and was President from 2007 to 2009. He served on the New Zealand Law Society Board from 2004 to 2008 and has been President since April 2010. Temm's practice has been varied, but he has dealt with high-profile criminal cases during his career, including defending Michael Curtis, one of two brothers convicted of the murder of toddler Nia Glassie. He found such cases difficult to deal with. Temm has been actively involved in professionial legal skills training, and has been a member of the New Zealand Law Society's Litigation Skills Faculty since 2005.Beliefs
Temm blames the unhealthy rise in abuse cases on the decline in children being seen by Plunket nursesPlunket Society
The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society is an incorporated society in New Zealand which provides a range of health services to healthy babies and young children...
. He wants to see legislation and health funding in place that will protect New Zealand children in the long term. He sees the drivers of child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
in New Zealand as including "society's attitude to alcohol and the freedom of it and the increasing fractured nature of our families and a myriad of other things including drug abuse, mental health issues, financial strain and all of these things". "What happened then is that the fourth Labour government
Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand
The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It enacted major social and economic reforms, including reformation of the tax system. The economic reforms were known as Rogernomics after Finance Minister Roger Douglas...
was elected and new right economic theory took sway. The Roger Douglas
Roger Douglas
Sir Roger Owen Douglas , is a New Zealand politician who formerly served as a senior New Zealand Labour Party Cabinet minister. He became arguably best-known for his prominent role in the radical economic restructuring undertaken by the Fourth Labour Government during the 1980s...
market theory was being applied and the statutory monopoly, that used to exist for Plunket and Karitane
Karitane
The seaside settlement of Karitane is located within the limits of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand, 35 kilometres to the north of the city centre....
, was eroded and eventually done away with. So our preschool childcare was significantly dented". Temm has challenged the New Zealand Government to put the money where it is needed. "If you are serious about child abuse in New Zealand, you must pick up the challenge of the pre-school childcare through the health system and a number of other things could be leveraged off that. Every single child born in New Zealand should have his or her birth registered and the entire country should be divided into quadrants and every child, before the age of three, should be the responsibility of a Plunket or Karitane nurse and everything would leverage off that service". Temm is also concerned about the Sentencing Act 2002. He believes that that Act is not working because "at least 70 per cent of criminals behind bars suffering a mental disorder of some kind" With it costing between $50,000 and $100,000 annually to keep someone in jail he asks whether the country is properly dealing with the people in the community if such disorders are not adequately treated.
As New Zealand Law Society President Temm believes the biggest issue facing the Society is public and political criticism of the legal profession. He says that while he has confidence that most New Zealand lawyers are performing extremely well, there are some people in the profession who are not holding to the well-established rules of professional conduct and ethics that the profession expects. Temm says the Law Society will take a firm stance with any misconduct.