10 September 2012
Media release: Cybercrime expert in New Zealand for international law congress

Cybercrime expert, Judge Stein Schjolberg (Norway) is in New Zealand to pitch for a global legal system to curtail serious attacks on individuals, business and governments via the Internet, at the 13th International Criminal Law Congress in Queenstown this week.

“The advent of the Internet has spawned considerable on-line criminal activity – including computer viruses/malware, fraud, hacking, harassment, identity theft; scams and sexual predation – that has no regard for national borders or police jurisdictions,” says Judge David Wilson QC (Auckland District Court), chair of the biennial congress’s organising committee.

"Lawyers, Judges and academics cannot but be affected professionally and personally by this surge in cybercrime. So having one of the world’s leading experts here to talk about how best to deal with global cybercrime is a great coup.”

Judge Schjolberg’s presentation (on Friday, 13 September) is one of 20 to be delivered at the biennial congress, which runs from 12 to 16 September.

The issues are diverse and topical. They include: a Ngai Tahu perspective on criminal law; juries and social media; juries and empirical studies; brain damage in criminal justice detainees; the outlook for DNA in forensic science; sentencing populism – victims and the criminal justice system and the three-strikes law; Australia’s novel approach to human rights protection; trials in Cambodia; and the effectiveness of the special intervention courts approach in Australia and New Zealand.

“We’ve pulled together legal and academic experts in their fields from New Zealand and beyond for these challenging sessions,” says Judge Wilson. “We expect they will spark considerable discussion and enhance the knowledge and practice of all who take part.”

About 140 people are expected to attend the congress, including 10 law students and/or recently admitted members to the Bar, selected and funded by the congress’s key sponsor, the New Zealand Law Foundation. The foundation has also funded the costs (travel, accommodation and associated expenses) of bringing the keynote speakers to the congress.
ENDS

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