7. Brendan Horsley

Deputy Solicitor General

Holding a powerful role as the decider upon major criminal appeals, including manifestly inadequate sentencing issues, Brendan Horsley holds a major role where even his boss, Solicitor General Una Jagose will not tread. As the man also responsible for the Crown prosecution network he is also a fully, hands-on operator with power that may be largely unseen, but is demonstrated daily.

Low profile publicly but an astute and powerful lawyer handling major criminal appeals and related matters, Brendan Horsley disagreed with the decision not to prosecute parties over the CTV building collapse in the Christchurch earthquake, with Justice Minister Little suggesting such tragedies, including Pike River, could well lead to a corporate manslaughter law change that permits such action.

More recently he disagreed with the High Court’s treatment of a woman who pimped her daughter for sex, saying the sentencing level was commenced too low.