University of Canterbury Faculty of Law
Meremere Building in August 2024 | |
| Type | Public Law school |
|---|---|
| Established | 1873 |
Parent institution | University of Canterbury |
| Accreditation | New Zealand Council of Legal Education |
| Dean | Petra Butler |
Total staff | 49 (2024) |
| Students | 1,534 (2024) |
| Location | , 43°31′30″S 172°35′04″E / 43.525°S 172.5844°E |
| Website | canterbury.ac.nz/law |
The Canterbury Faculty of Law (informally Canterbury Law School; Māori: Te Kaupeka Ture) is the law school at the University of Canterbury. The Canterbury Faculty of Law, established in 1873, is one of New Zealand's two oldest law schools (alongside University of Otago Faculty of Law). The Faculty began offering a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1877. The faculty awards degrees in law and criminal justice, including the LL.B., LL.M., and Ph.D.
Originally led by a single practitioner, the faculty's teaching responsibility later shifted to prominent figures like William Izard and George Weston. The faculty grew over time, establishing multiple full-time chairs by 1970, and moved to the Ilam campus in 1974. In 1993, it relocated to a newly constructed law building.
The faculty has several affiliated clubs, including the Law Students' Society (LAWSOC), founded in 1923. It also publishes the Canterbury Law Review, a peer-reviewed journal established in 1980.
Prominent faculty members have included John Burrows, Philip Joseph, Ursula Cheer, and Stephen Todd. The faculty has produced widely used legal texts, and its alumni have made significant contributions to law and public service, including Supreme Court justices William Young and Andrew Tipping, and Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Feleti Teo.