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.
Research Interests
Comparative Law, Contract Law, Equity, Jurisprudence, Legal History, Legislative Drafting.
Contact
Tel: +64 3 479 8832
Office: 8th Floor - 8N9
Email: nigel.jamieson@otago.ac.nz
Publications
Jamieson, N. J. (2011). Legal transplants: Word-building and word-borrowing in Slavic and South Pacific legal discourse. Victoria University of Wellington Law Review, 42(2), 417-458.
Jamieson, N. J. (2010). Codes, contracts, and commerce: The Contractual Mistakes Act part II: Releasing more light than heat. Statute Law Review, 31(2), 107-150. doi: 10.1093/slr/hmq006
Jamieson, N. J. (2010). Text and context in Russian legislation with specific reference to the Russian Constitution. Revue Juridique Polynesienne, 16, 125-168.
Jamieson, N. J. (2010). Codes, contracts, and commerce: Taking the heat out of the Contractual Mistakes Act. Statute Law Review, 31(1), 47-62. doi: 10.1093/slr/hmq003
Jamieson, N. (2010, June). How judges think they think. Verbal presentation at the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
Chapter in Book - Research
Jamieson, N. J. (1996). Sir William Alexander Sim 1858-1928. In C. Orange (Ed.), Dictionary of New Zealand Biography Vol 3 1901-1920. (pp. 474-475). Auckland, Wellington,: Auckland University Press and Department of Intern.
Journal - Research Article
Jamieson, N. J. (2011). Legal transplants: Word-building and word-borrowing in Slavic and South Pacific legal discourse. Victoria University of Wellington Law Review, 42(2), 417-458.
Jamieson, N. J. (2010). Codes, contracts, and commerce: The Contractual Mistakes Act part II: Releasing more light than heat. Statute Law Review, 31(2), 107-150. doi: 10.1093/slr/hmq006
Jamieson, N. J. (2010). Codes, contracts, and commerce: Taking the heat out of the Contractual Mistakes Act. Statute Law Review, 31(1), 47-62. doi: 10.1093/slr/hmq003
Jamieson, N. J. (2010). Text and context in Russian legislation with specific reference to the Russian Constitution. Revue Juridique Polynesienne, 16, 125-168.
Jamieson, N. J. (2009). Text and context in Russian legislation with specific reference to the Russian Constitution. New Zealand Association for Comparative Law Yearbook, 15, 11-59.
Jamieson, N. (2007). The Scots Statute: Style and substance. Statute Law Review, 28(3), 182-198.
Jamieson, N. J., & Trapeznik, A. (2007). A legislative (logico-linguistic) analysis of the common law components of the Russian constitution. Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, 16(2), 431-490.
Jamieson, N. J. (2006). Reinventing jurisprudential wheels: A plea for jurisprudentia perennis. Otago Law Review, 11(2), 263-279.
Jamieson, N. J. (2006). The Scots statute. Statute Law Review, 27(3), 176-184.
Jamieson, N. J. (2006). The ubiquitous book review. Law & Critique, 17(2), 201-237.
Jamieson, N. (2005). Oliver Cromwell: The Grinch that stole Christmas. Statute Law Review, 26(3), 189-200.
Jamieson, N. J. (2004). Talking through the Treaty - truly of a case of Pokarekare Ana or troubled waters. New Zealand Association for Comparative Law Yearbook, 10, 101-127.
Jamieson, N. (2004). An elegy (long after Gray) on the passing gravity of legal scholarship. Otago Law Review, 10(4), 623-630.
Jamieson, N. J. (2003). A legal logic for public and private rights. Otago Law Review, 10(3), 371-384.
Jamieson, N. J. (2000). Legislation through the millenial looking glass. Otago Law Review, 9(4), 713-730.
Jamieson, N. J. (1997). Linguistics and legislation. Loophole, 17-19.
Jamieson, N. J. (1997). Getting down to the act: further memoirs of an antipodean lawmaker. Statute Law Review, 18(1), 65-81.
Jamieson, N. (1996). Thr Russian legal system in a nutshell. Otago Law Review, 8(4), 579-587.
Jamieson, N. J. (1996). How do we treat our judges well or badly? New Zealand Law Journal, 89-91.
Jamieson, N. J. (1996). The managerial revolution in law. New Zealand Law Journal, 38-40.
Jamieson, N. J. (1996). Source and target oriented comparative law. American Journal of Comparative Law, 44, 121-129.
Jamieson, N. J. (1995). Further news from Emgeoo. New Zealand Law Journal, 374-379.
Jamieson, N. J. (1995). Quote and unquote: Watership Down. Law Librarian, 26, 376.
Jamieson, N. J. (1995). Good news from Emgeoo. New Zealand Law Journal, 326-331.
Jamieson, N. J. (1995). Different styles of statutory expression. Otago Law Review, 8, 351-373.
Journal - Research Other
Jamieson, N. (2007). [Review of the book The judicial process: Realism, pragmatism, practical reasoning and principles]. Otago Law Review, 11(3), 539-561.
Jamieson, N. (2005). Review of the book The Disputes Tribunals of New Zealand. Otago Law Review, 11(1), 139-148.
Major Reviews - prior to 2003
Jamieson, N. J. (2002). Fundamental Legal Conceptions As Applied In Judicial Reasoning By Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld. New Zealand Universities Law Review..
Jamieson, N. J. (2002). "Regulating Public Utilities: A Constitutional Approach" by Cosmo Graham. New Zealand Universities Law Review. Wellington: Brookers.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Jamieson, N. (2010, June). How judges think they think. Verbal presentation at the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
Jamieson, N. (2008, June). Persistent problems of legal history. Verbal presentation at the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
Jamieson, N. J. (2008, November). Text and context in Russian legislation. Verbal presentation at the University of Otago Russian Studies Research Cluster Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Jamieson, N. J. (2006, June). Custodians of the common law. Verbal presentation at the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.
Jamieson, N. (2005, April). The Scots statute: Style and substance. Verbal presentation at the Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy, Sydney, Australia.
Jamieson, N. (2004, December). Reinventing jurisprudential wheels: A plea for jurisprudentia perennis. Verbal presentation at the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
