Britomart Chambers welcomes public law specialist

James Christmas was a senior adviser to a former attorney-general and two prime ministers

Britomart Chambers welcomes public law specialist

Britomart Chambers has welcomed public law specialist James Christmas as its newest member.

Christmas once served as a senior adviser to former Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and to ex-Prime Ministers Sir John Key and Sir Bill English. A lawyer since 2012, he has tackled matters involving the Treaty of Waitangi, the Crown-Māori relationship, national security, and governance.

He began practising on his own account in 2019, according to Britomart Chambers.

In 2021, Christmas co-authored He Kupu Taurangi, a history of treaty settlements under the national government, with Finlayson. At present, Christmas is penning the biography of Ralph Hanan, the former National Party Minister of Justice.

Christmas has a long-held interest in New Zealand foreign policy and the arts. He has been a trustee of the New Zealand String Quartet since 2017.