Kevin Phillips - Raising the bar

A young Gore lawyer, he arrived in Queenstown in the mid-80s, after copping flak for his foray into politics, hoping to open a wine bar. Unfortunately, impending licensing law changes were delayed so Kevin Phillips, 76, now a retired southern District Court judge, was forced to open a Queenstown legal practice instead.

“I used space in Dardy Wallace’s winter ski shop, covering up the ski planing table and using it as a desk,” Kevin recalls. “I had no clients, nothing to do, and was used to being busy. Alan Macalister (lawyer) gave me some council work, but I needed headlines.”

He got those defending a guy charged with possessing magic mushrooms (psilocybin), who claimed he was of Red Indian extraction, and they were required for a sacred tribal ritual. “He said they went to where the rivers began, and they sat on a rock after taking psilocybin and the Manitou would come down and give them instructions for the year,” Kevin says. “So, I went to the Dunedin Library to research this and that’s exactly what they did,” he says. “I came back with all the information, and the Police couldn’t believe I was defending this guy,” Kevin grins. “Judge Joe Anderson, who later became a close friend, listened to my submissions for 15 minutes then said crossly, ‘I’m sick and tired of listening to this rubbish. Your client was using a Class A drug!’ But I got big headlines and my practice took off like a rocket.”

Soon after he was offered a partnership in Macalister Todd where he worked for 21 years on some groundbreaking cases. “We were on a really good high, then the sharemarket crashed in 1987 and we went to nothing, living off our credit cards and borrowings.”

One Sunday around 1991 Kevin was at the office when local realtor Greg Ross rang asking them to act for Asian clients buying a Queenstown property. “They ended up buying half of downtown Queenstown. That reinvigorated our practice.”

Kevin even flew to London to represent them after an argument over a pipeline with Pakistan State Oil. “These were big companies and it went to arbitration in London, so I went over to act for them in Fleet Street – the boy from Gore.”

Yeah, not bad for a kid from Gore High who missed School Certificate by one mark for not applying himself, passing the second year only to not be one of just five accredited UE by the rector.

Aquinas Hall and Castle Street flatting during uni made for fun times before practising law in Gore – 14 years with Bannerman Brydone and Folster.

Kevin helped found the Gore Squash Club, and sat on the Gore Racing Club Committee, before unsuccessfully standing against Derek Angus for the Wallace National Party nomination. “So, I joined Bob Jones’ NZ Party, but I got a bit of flak from the old farmers in National territory who thought I was a radical left winger.”

He got a guy off a manslaughter charge after a tragedy on McEntyre’s Hill, near Arrowtown, calling in a young Christchurch pathologist, who established it wasn’t him driving.

Then there were the 15 Timaru Road Knights gang members who caused a riot in Queenstown Mall, Kevin assigned to represent all 15 at the Invercargill trial. “Crown solicitor Alistair Garland had employed a new, very young looking, bespeckled prosecutor with white, blonde hair, which prompted the Road Knights behind me to stand and cheer, ‘The Milky Bar Kid!’ Ronny Mansfield (KC) went on to be NZ’s leading criminal defence barrister.”

Acting for the QLDC, its Airport Corporation and District Waterways Authority, Kevin drew up NZ’s first ever waterways bylaws. He also covered the council’s back when a huge slip threatened above Frankton Road, post 1999 floods. “If it wasn’t for the council CEO (Duncan Field) those floods would’ve been a bloody disaster,” he says.

The transition to judge in 2006, commuting to Invercargill weekly, was a big one, mostly for wife Su and kids Georgia and Elliot, Kevin says. “Marrying Su in 1991 was my only unappealed decision.”

Fresh from judge’s initiation, Kevin was dobbed in at the last minute to preside over a jury trial when the rostered judge found he had a conflict. “I’d been to Invercargill District Court but never behind the bench. I was scared shitless and no one told me there was a step up to the chair, so I tripped and disappeared behind the bench with the jury and public watching! Talk about embarrassing.” His circuit included Gore where Kevin recognised a few faces, including the grandson of a guy he’d acted for. “It was generational.”

On a more light-hearted note, he’s donned robes to judge the Winter Festival Waiters’ Race and a long grey wig and lusty pink top as entrant in the first ever Festival Drag Race. Kevin missed the memo though to wear a wetsuit when the partners leapt from the pier in the Festival Birdman Competition.

“Coming from Gore I was disappointed that I never won the Cow Pat Throwing Competition.”

As a result of the rules Kevin had to retire in 2023, after five years as an acting warranted judge around the country.

“I enjoyed what I did. I wish I was still working.”