What does this event cover

Sovereign citizen and pseudolaw interactions are becoming an increasingly common challenge for local government, affecting front-line staff, regulatory teams, customer service, rates, enforcement, complaints and LGOIMA processes.

This practical webinar will help your council recognise the warning signs of pseudolaw arguments, understand how these interactions are presenting in New Zealand council settings, and respond in ways that are legally sound, proportionate and consistent. You’ll learn practical strategies for managing correspondence, avoiding unproductive exchanges, protecting staff and elected members, and developing security risk plans for situations that have the potential to escalate.

Designed for local government professionals, this session provides practical guidance to help councils manage these interactions confidently before they become costly, disruptive or unsafe.

  • what sovereign citizen and pseudolaw interactions can look like in a New Zealand council setting.
  • Learn how to reduce escalation risk while maintaining lawful and consistent council processes.
  • Take away a practical structure for building or reviewing your council’s security risk plan.

Read this relevant article about Sovereign Citizens and Violent Extremism in New Zealand – Combined Threat Assessment Group and NZ Police insight report

Programme overview

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Your facilitators and guest speakers

Dr Stephen Young

Associate Professor Stephen Young is a lecturer and scholar at the University of Otago Faculty of Law. His research explores the fringes of legality, with particular interests in pseudolaw and sovereign citizen movements, Indigenous peoples’ rights, human rights, legal theory, and the ways in which individuals and communities contest and reconfigure legal authority. His work appears has appeared in law journals and media outlets through the English-speaking world. His new book Outlawed: Responding to the Global Rise of Sovereign Citizens and Legal Conspiracies (with Harry Hobbs) is now out with Penguin Random House.Prior to entering academia, he worked as a civil litigator in Denver, Colorado. He holds a BA from Bucknell University, an MA from Colorado State University, a JD from the University of Colorado, and a PhD from the University of New South Wales.

Leith Townshend

Leith Townshend is General Counsel at Tasman District Council. In this role, he provides strategic legal advice across a wide range of local government functions, including governance, LOGIMA requests, public law, and risk management. During his time in Council, he has developed a particular interest in the challenges that sovereign citizen and pseudo-legal movements can present for public authorities and decision-makers. Leith is an in-house lawyer by trade having worked in a number of Government Departments and regulatory agencies.  

Hamish Harwood

Hamish is a Senior Associate in Simpson Grierson’s local government and environment group, based in Wellington. He is a specialist local government and resource management lawyer. His practice encompasses all aspects of resource management law. In addition, he regularly advises and represents local authorities in relation to judicial review, compensation disputes, and enforcement matters, including issues relating to: rates and rating valuations, building code compliance, liability issues, natural hazards, compulsory acquisition of property, infrastructure projects and dog control.

Philip Shackleton

Philip joined Taituarā in September 2025, as Principal Advisor, Sector Readiness.

He brings over 20 years of experience, and relationships in local government and the public sector.

His career includes 10 years in senior roles with councils and more recently 7 years as Principal Policy Advisor with Local Government New Zealand. He has most recently worked in leadership roles at Waka Kotahi and at EECA where he was Development Lead in the Standards and Regulations Team. Philip’s expertise includes policy development, regulatory analysis, stakeholder management, and project and programme delivery.

In his role as Principal Advisor, Sector Readiness, Philip is committed to supporting the Sector Readiness Team develop tools and resources that help the sector prepare for and successfully implement new legislation and policies.