New Zealand Schools’ Debating

The Attorney-General, Hon Christopher Finlayson (himself a former debater) announced today that NZSDC life-member Claire Ryan has been appointed a judge of the District Court.

Judge Ryan has practised for over 26 years, including five years in Australia, working extensively in the areas of criminal law, family law and child protection. She has regularly appeared in the Youth, District and High Courts and she has been the team leader for the Youth and Family Court team at Meredith Connell.

Claire is well known to New Zealand debaters as a regular judge at the Auckland, Northland, Waikato and New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships. On the world stage, she has been a Chief Adjudicator of the World Schools’ Debating Champs, the Secretary of the World Council and is the current Chair of the Council.

NZSDC congratulates Claire on her appointment and wishes her all the best in her new role.

The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Udayan Mukherjee as Assistant Coach of the 2011 New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team.

Udayan has coached regional teams at the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Champs for the last three years (Hawke’s Bay in 2009 and 2010, and Wellington in 2011), and was an adjudicator for New Zealand on the Russell McVeagh International Tour earlier this year. He is the reigning Australasian Intervarsity Debating Champion.

Udayan will be helping Steve Hind coach the NZ Team in advance of the World Champs in Dundee.

Thomas Simpson, Rayhan Langdana, Ed Foley, Nick Orr and James Penn (in middle)