Olivia has experience in criminal and civil litigation, with a particular focus on financial crime, regulatory prosecutions and professional disciplinary proceedings. As well as prosecuting serious crime, she has advised and acted for a number of government organisations and professional bodies, including the Commissioner of Police, New Zealand Transport Agency, WorkSafe, Maritime New Zealand, Health New Zealand, the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and the New Zealand Law Society. She has also assisted the Coroner’s Office with the Christchurch Masjidain Attack Inquiry on secondment.
Olivia has appeared in the District and High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, Coroner’s Court, Military Court and in professional disciplinary Tribunals. Olivia previously worked as an employed barrister for a King’s Counsel undertaking a wide range of criminal work as counsel for both defence and the Crown.
Recent and notable work:
Advising and appearing as counsel for the Commissioner of Police in proceedings involving the forfeiture of funds in excess of $10 million held in New Zealand bank accounts (Commissioner of Police v Rae [2025] NZCA 75).
Counsel for the New Zealand Transport Agency and Health New Zealand in various fraud prosecutions including charges of obtaining by deception, forgery and dishonest use of a document.
Junior counsel for the Crown in an appeal against sentence and conviction for murder in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court (Tihema & Ors v R [2022] NZCA 444; Jetson v R [2023] NZSC 150).
Junior defence counsel for a 11-week prosecution brought by the Financial Markets Authority alleging serious fraudulent offending (R v Roberston CRI 2017-004-010580).