Image above: L-R: FLTLT Walker, BRIG Riordan (Director General of Defence Legal Services), FLTLT Greig, LTCOL Taylor, CAPT Pettigrew, CAPT Hill, CDR Griggs. WN 08-0037-07.jpg.
In the past year, two RNZAF pilots have rebranched and are now specialist legal officers. FLTLT Randall Walker and SQNLDR Andy Greig have recently completed law degrees (LLB) at Victoria University of Wellington and are now working for the Directorate of Legal Services at Headquarters NZ Defence Force in Wellington.
Before he rebranched to legal officer, FLTLT Walker was an Iroquois pilot on No. 3 Squadron. During his time on No. 3 Squadron, he deployed to both East Timor and the Solomon Islands. During a ground posting in Wellington, FLTLT Walker continued studying part-time for an LLB which he had started before joining the Air Force. In July 2006, he studied full-time under the RNZAF Study Award scheme and finished his LLB in mid-2007. FLTLT Walker then commenced a three-month legal professional course and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in February 2008.
SQNLDR Greig has flown Andovers and Orions and was a Qualified Flying Instructor on Airtrainers and Kingairs for several years. In 1993, he deployed overseas flying Andovers in Somalia. During a ground posting to Wellington, SQNLDR Greig decided he would like to start a law degree. He began studying full-time for the degree in 2004 while also working part-time for the RNZAF. In 2006, SQNLDR Greig took a year off from studying and deployed as a United Nations Military Observer in Israel and South Lebanon and experienced first hand the conflict between the Hezbollah and the Israeli Defence Force. SQNLDR Greig resumed his studies in 2007 under the RNZAF Study Award scheme and completed his degree in February 2008. He is currently on the legal professional course and hopes to be admitted to the bar later in 2008.
There are currently 18 regular force legal officers in the Defence Force. Legal officers, regardless of their parent Service, provide legal services to all three Services. The role of Defence Force legal officers is to provide legal services to commanders to ensure ‘that the rule of law is respected and upheld in all New Zealand Defence Force operations and in protecting the security of New Zealand.’ This means that legal officers provide advice to commanders on a range of matters from disciplinary issues, to interpretation and compliance with orders and legislation, to operational legal issues connected with deployments. They also appear as counsel in courts-martial and coroner’s inquests from time to time. Additionally, one of the big jobs for legal officers during 2008 will be introducing changes to the way military justice is undertaken in the Defence Force following major legislative changes in late 2007. It should be noted that legal officers give advice to commanders and not to individual Service members.