0
Contact Us
Sally McKechnie
BA LLB(Hons) BCL(Oxon) MPhil(Oxon) • Wellington
DD
Mobile
Email
LinkedIn
Sally is a leading public law and regulatory advisor and litigator. She leads Simpson Grierson's public law and government practice and is known for delivering pragmatic and analytical advice, targeted at resolving disputes to secure the best possible client outcomes.
Sally helps both private and public clients to manage a wide range of public and administrative law and regulatory issues - including regulatory disputes, judicial review and declaratory judgment. She has particular expertise in contested matters, has appeared as lead counsel in the Supreme Court and regularly appears in the High Court and Court of Appeal. She has particular experience in seeking and resisting urgent injunctions and interim orders.
She assists clients with participating in inquiries, government reviews and Royal Commissions and she conducts investigations for public agencies. Sally assists clients in engaging with public agencies, including the Ombudsman, Auditor General and Privacy Commissioner in terms of complaints and responding to investigations.
Sally joined Simpson Grierson from Crown Law in May 2017. As Crown Counsel, she represented and advised Ministers, regulators, statutory decision makers and government departments and ministries. That Crown experience gives her a unique insight into engaging with government. She now regularly acts both for and against the Crown and other public actors.
Sally has been a co-author of New Zealand Law Society national ‘Judicial Review’ Seminar since 2021.
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026
Public Law
Leading Lawyer
Asia Pacific Legal 500 2026
Dispute Resolution
Leading Partner
Work Highlights
Parliamentary processes, law reform and policy
Sally and her team regularly advise on Parliamentary processes, Select Committee processes and submissions and law reform proposals. She advances her clients interests through law reform proposals, suggested statutory drafting and supporting policy papers.
Resolving contested regulatory matters and public decision making
Sally assists companies to resolve issues with public and regulatory decision making, securing positive and discrete solutions for clients. She works across a wide range of sectors including health and medical, pharmacy, broadcasting, mining and extractives, government procurement and contracting.
Judicial review
Sally regularly appears in judicial review matters, in a wide range of areas. She is an expert in statutory interpretation and decision making processes, acting for both applicants and defendants. Recent cases include:
- Ours Not Mines v Hauraki District Council (lead counsel for Oceana Gold) [2026] NZCA 128.
- Lead counsel in successful challenge to District Court decision on the jurisdiction of WorkSafe to prosecute for the death of a soldier during a Counter Terrorism collective training exercise. New Zealand Defence Force v District Court of New Zealand [2022] NZHC 3559.
Injunctions and interim orders
Sally regularly brings and defends urgent injunction or interim orders applications, to seek to preserve her clients’ positions. She acts quickly, to advance (or defeat) applications, where Court action is required. Recent cases include Pacific 7 v Tauranga City Council [2025] 2235 defeating an attempt to prevent a property sale and Hart v Marlborough District Council [2023] NZHC 2714.
Royal Commissions and government inquiries
Sally has an extensive inquiries practice, including acting for the Catholic Bishops and Congregational Leaders and other faith groups in the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. She has assisted a wide range of clients (including government chief executives, state employees and whistle blowers) in the Royal Commission regarding the Mosque Shootings, in Operation Burnham, the Wally Haumaha inquiry and the inquiry into the Government’s use of private investigators.
Most recently, Sally is assisting Fire and Emergency New Zealand in responding to the Government Inquiry in the Fatal Tauranga Landslides.
Crown Entities
Assisting a number of Crown entities in relation to their decision making, interactions with responsible Ministers, statutory obligations and Ministerial powers, including representing a Crown Entity in a judicial review regarding the scope of Ministerial powers of direction and advising a Crown Entity on Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
She represents various Crown Entities in commercial disputes, administrative disputes and judicial review, Select Committee processes, inquiries, and inquests.
Education sector
Advising universities, schools, ECE providers and PTEs on their statutory and regulatory obligations.
Acting for a large PTE in challenging the regulatory actions and decisions of NZQA, including bringing judicial review proceedings and seeking interim orders to prevent the imposition of decisions.
Assisting a university with controversial attempted name change decision.
Covid-19 and statutory and regulatory reform
Advising clients on the application and lawfulness of Covid-19 law changes and other regulatory and statutory reform.
Negligence and class actions
Acting in ‘Kiwifruit Claim” in the High Court, a class action claim for $600 million, for alleged negligence under the Biosecurity Act in the horticultural sector.
Advising Crown entity clients on potential negligence risks and mitigation.
Privacy and Official Information
Assisting public and private clients with Ombudsman’s and Privacy Commissioner requests and investigations.
Advising New Zealand based business and NZ based international subsidiaries on the Privacy Act and GDPR obligations and compliance.
Treaty of Waitangi obligations
Regularly provides advice on statutory and Treaty obligations and Treaty informed processes to public and private actors and iwi groups.
For example, advising a Crown Entity in relation to their involvement in Waitangi Tribunal hearings.
Human Rights
Responding to claims in the Human Rights Review Tribunal in relation to civil claims in sexual harassment and discrimination/human rights.
Acting for a Council and Council controlled organisation against allegations of discrimination in proceedings in the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
