Dr Nigel Jamieson

A second, if not third generation Scots-born academic, trained and working first as a professional musician (solo as a child prodigy on BBC and NZBC when broadcasting was broadcasting, orchestrally in the pit and on the concert platform, more recently as a street musician).

Graduated from the University of New Zealand, majoring in Russian and philosophy after winning the Watson-Victor Dissection prize in Zoology. Dropped BSc after his Zoology Professor castigated Law as "a load of old rubbish" - but still keeps bees and qualified some years ago under the Biosecurity Act. Employed as Interpreter and Government Translator (Science and Technology) 1959-76. Graduated in Law from Victoria University with the Law Moot Prize, being admitted as a solicitor in 1964, barrister in 1965, and parliamentary counsel in 1968. Graduated LLD from University of Otago in 2003 "for original contributions of special excellence in the history, philosophy, exposition, or criticism of law." Practised with law firms in Wellington and Hutt, and in local and central government, with seven years as a parliamentary counsel in Wellington. Visiting scholar at Universities of Aberdeen (researching Scottish Devolution), Moscow (twice undercover in the Russian Language Institute), and Minsk (witnessing the collapse of communism as the personal guest of the President of Belarus in 1991). Collaborateur from 1978-91 for L’Institut de Rescherches Jurididiques Comparatives Du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Tutored in Jurisprudence at Victoria, Valuation Law at Wellington Polytechnic, while public examiner for New Zealand in Urban and Rural Valuation Law for three years. Taught Jurisprudence at Otago from 1975-86, also Constitutional Law, now Legal System, Legal History, and Legislation. Published in seven countries (including France and the Soviet Union) over 180 articles (in both prose and verse), mostly on Jurisprudence, Public Law, Legal History and Legislation.

Enjoys reading, writing, researching, lecturing, flute-playing, gardening and family life, as well as being a licensed lay-preacher, song-leader and musician in the Presbyterian Church.

Favorite academic - Aristotle for his metaphysics, with Duns Scotus running a close second for his first principles.

Favorite writer - Ecclesiastes for his "vanity, vanity, all is vanity".

First love - Jesus Christ for his joy in the Holy Spirit.

Chief gripes - the politicization of the law, the bureaucratization of education, the trivialization of scholarship, and the loss of iwi tahi tatou in New Zealand.

Long-term project - a jurisprudence of the Second World War; Jurisprudence in the Book of Job; the forcefullness of Contract Law.

Recent Research

• 2006 The Ubiquitous Book Review 17 Law and Critique 201-237.
• 2006 The Scots Statute 27(3) Statute Law Review 176-184.
• 2006 Reinventing Jurisprudential Wheels — A Plea for Jurisprudentia Perennis 11 Otago Law Review 263-279.
• 2006 Talking Through the Treaty – Truly a Case of Pokarekare Ana or Troubled Waters Revue Juridique Polynésienne Yearbook for 2003 conjointly with New Zealand Association of Comparative Law Yearbook 10 for 2004, 101-127.
• 2007 Book Review Article, The Judicial Process, Realism, Pragmatism, Practical Reasoning and Principles by E.W. Thomas, 11 Otago Law Review, 539-561.
• 2007 A Legislative (Logico-Linguistic) Analysis of the Common Law Elements in the Russian Constitution (co-authored with Alexander Trapeznik) 16 (2) Transnational Journal of Legal and Contemporary Problems 431-489.
• 2007 The Scots Statute — Style and Substance, 28 Statute Law Review, 182-198.
• 2009 Text and Context in Russian Legislation with Specific Reference to the Russian Constitution (concurrently in 16 Revue Juridique Polynésienne, and 15 New Zealand Association for Comparative Law Yearbook, 11-59.
• 2010 Codes, Contracts, and Commerce: Taking the Heat Out of the Contractual Mistakes Act, 31 (1) Statute Law Review, 47-62.
• 2010 Codes, Contracts, and Commerce Part II: Releasing More Light Than Heat, 31 (2) Statute Law Review, 107-150.
• 2011 Legal Transplants: Word-Building and Word Borrowing in Slavic and South Pacific Legal Discourse (forthcoming contemporaneously in Victoria University Law Review, Revue Juridique Polynésienne, and New Zealand Association for Comparative Law Yearbook 2010.

Research Interests

Comparative Law, Contract Law, Equity, Jurisprudence, Legal History, Legislative Drafting.

Contact Details

Tel 03 479 8832
Office: 8th Floor - 8N9
Email nigel.jamieson@otago.ac.nz