Committee Members 2025
| Member |
| Leo Farmer, President |
| Dr Brigid Connor, President Elect |
| Dr Francois Stapelberg, Immediate Past-President and Editor of Transactions |
| Catherine Miller, Secretary |
| Jodi Libbey, Treasurer |
| Julie-Anne Kincade KC |
| Vivienne Crawshaw KC |
| Judge Debra Bell |
| Dr Dereck Souter |
| Dr Manoja Kalupahana |
| Dominic Clapham |
| Committee members can be contacted via the AMLS administrator at admin@medicolegal.co.nz |
Leo Farmer
President
Leo joined the independent Bar in 2020, where he is a member of Shortland Chambers. Prior to joining the independent Bar, Leo was a Partner at Meredith Connell. Leo undertakes a range of litigation, for both private and public sector clients. His work includes deceased estate litigation for both executors and beneficiaries, as well as more general commercial and civil matters, including litigation under consumer protection and competition legislation.
Dr Brigid Connor
President Elect
She has special interests in vascular and oncology imaging. In addition to the Medicolegal Society she is on the executive of the Asia Pacific Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology and has served as an examiner for the European Board of Interventional Radiology. Brigid is a Consultant Interventional Radiologist in both public and private practice at Auckland Hospital and Auckland Radiology Group.
Dr Francois Stapelberg
Immediate Past President and Editor of Transactions
Francois is a specialist anaesthetist in both private and public practice, holding appointments at Middlemore Hospital and the New Zealand National Burn Service, as well as a senior clinical lecturer at Auckland University. He has a special interest in burn education and serves on the Board of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association as President as well as the Chair of Education.
Catherine Miller
Secretary
Catherine Miller is a senior solicitor at Buddle Findlay. Her practice involves a broad range of health and commercial work. Catherine provides advice to both public and private sector clients, including advice on commercial agreements, procurement processes, legal compliance, medico-legal issues, inquiries and investigations, policy development, and privacy. Prior to joining Buddle Findlay, Catherine worked in- house at Counties Manukau District Health Board.
Jodi Libbey
Treasurer
Julie-Anne Kincade KC
Julie-Anne Kincade KC was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1991. She was a criminal barrister in London until December 2005 when she moved to New Zealand. Initially she was employed by Meredith Connell as a Senior Solicitor. She joined the independent bar in 2013 and practices solely in criminal law. Since February 2016 she has been a member of Blackstone Chambers in Auckland. She was appointed as Queen’s Counsel at the end of 2019.
Julie-Anne is a Council member of the Auckland District Law Society (ADLS) as well as being a member of the Criminal Law Committee of ADLS. She is a Faculty member of the New Zealand Law Society Litigation Skills course.
As well as the Auckland Medico-Legal Society, she is a member of the New Zealand Law Society, the Auckland District Law Society, the New Zealand Bar Association, the Criminal Bar Association and the Auckland Women Lawyers Association.
Vivienne Crawshaw KC
Vivienne Crawshaw has been in legal practice for over 30 years, predominantly specialising in all areas of family law, including relationship property and trusts. She has appeared on a number of leading cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and has regularly presented for NZLS.
Judge Debra Bell
Debra was appointed a District Court Judge with a jury trial warrant in January 2023 and sits in the Auckland District Court.
Prior to that appointment she was a Coroner based in Auckland.
Previously she was a member of the Independent Bar and a Partner at Meredith Connell for some years.
Dr Dereck Souter
Dereck is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with a special interest in Obstetric Ultrasound. After 20 years as one of Auckland’s busiest private Obstetricians and a period of travelling and locuming, he is now working 4 days a week as a senior Obstetrician at Middlemore Hospital.
Dr Manoja Kalupahana
Manoja is a Consultant Anaesthetist in both public and private practice in Auckland. She is employed by Waitemata Health New Zealand and is the lead for Paediatric Anaesthesia. She is also a director of Anaesthesia Auckland. She is on the Southern Cross Brightside Hospital Clinical Governance Committee and a member of the New Zealand Paediatric Network. When not working, she is a mother to two young daughters.