Sports law, land law and the legal fall-out of natural disasters such as the Canterbury earthquakes are specialty areas for a retiring Emeritus Professor Elizabeth Toomey, who retired from the University of Canterbury Law School after almost three decades’ teaching and research.
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Elizabeth Toomey received the honorary title earlier this year in recognition of her outstanding contribution to teaching and research at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC). A professor since 2011, she has retired after lecturing in the University’s Faculty of Law for almost three decades.
Emeritus Professor Toomey has been instrumental in shaping New Zealand’s land law and was invited by the Law Commission to contribute to their work on a number of land-related issues such as tenure and estates and the review of the Land Transfer Act 2017.
She also took a leading role following the Canterbury earthquakes in terms of legal and property-related issues arising from the quakes.
After several years of worldwide research in collaboration with UC Emeritus Professor Jeremy Finn, the pair co-authored Legal Response to Natural Disasters, published in 2015. The book provides guidance for professionals dealing with the aftermath of earthquakes and other natural disasters such as flooding.
Emeritus Professor Toomey’s three children have all represented New Zealand in swimming and surf lifesaving.
After accompanying them to international sporting events, she says it was impossible to ignore the legal issues that arose. “That sparked my curiosity in sports law and a personal interest evolved into a professional one,” she says.
She designed and lectured in the UC course Law and Sport, which has become extremely popular, and she believes she is the only academic teaching this topic in New Zealand.
She also presents an annual Sports Law update at the Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association.
While she is experienced and well-respected now, she describes herself as a “very raw recruit” to academic life when she first started at UC in 1995. She previously worked at a law firm in Dunedin and at an intellectual property firm in central London which involved liaising with celebrity clients.
After returning to New Zealand, she became a senior solicitor at Land Information New Zealand, married, and had three children. With her small children in tow, she often walked through the UC campus and wondered if she could ever find work there. A vacancy for a tutor came up and after tutoring for two years and completing her Master of Laws degree at UC, she became a lecturer.
Best Law Lecturer
She says while it’s enormously satisfying to see the final product of her research in books, articles, and presentations, her passion has always been teaching. She is a three-time winner of the University of Canterbury Student’s Association Best Law Lecturer award.
“The students are fundamental to our work, and I thrive on their energy and enthusiasm,” she says.
“I encourage them to come and discuss any part of the work they don’t understand and any problems that might be upsetting their studies. I think they do appreciate that.
“Many students tell me that at the beginning of the year they approach Land Law with much trepidation, and I’m always delighted when they come back to me at the end of the year and tell me it was their favourite subject.”
Emeritus Professor Toomey has held a number of leadership roles at UC, including Acting Dean and Acting Head of School, and has been a member of a range of faculty and university committees.
While she formally retired earlier this year, she is currently teaching an intensive UC Summer School course of Law and Sport, alongside spending time with her husband, children and four grandchildren. She is also excited about recently joining Coastguard New Zealand as a volunteer.
