Quentin Duff

Quentin Duff is the head of Mātai Chambers and brings over 25 years of experience focused on serious criminal trial and appellate advocacy. He is a fierce advocate with an established reputation for strategic litigation in New Zealand's most complex criminal cases.

Background and Credentials

Quentin is of Ngāiterangi, Te Arawa, and Ngāti Raukawa descent. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Master of Laws degree. Admitted for 25 years, he is one of the most senior Māori barristers in the country.

Experience

Quentin has led well over 100 criminal jury trials and is an experienced appellate court advocate, appearing regularly in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He is regularly appointed by the District Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal to appear as amicus curiae to assist self-represented defendants.

Instructions

Quentin accepts private instructions and has an established instructing solicitor base. In relation to criminal cases, Quentin is available for legal aid work, though this tends to be limited to charges that carry life imprisonment.

Recent case examples

R v N - murder trial. Client acquitted of murder & manslaughter. (April 2024, HC Auckland - with G Duff )

F v R - successful appeal against conviction. Client convicted at trial in his absence of aggravated robbery. COA quashed the conviction and no retrial was ordered. (Nov 2023, [2023] NZCA 544 - with G Duff & W Rhodes )

R v R - murder trial. Client acquitted of murder and manslaughter but guilty of being an accessory after the fact of murder. (Sept 2023, HC Rotorua - with S McColgan, G Duff & W Rhodes )

M v R - appointed as amicus curiae, unsuccessful bail appeal (Aug 2023, COA Dunedin - with W Rhodes)

R v P - murder & kidnapping trial. Client found guilty on all counts. (May-June 2023, HC Hamilton - with S McColgan) 

H v R - unsuccessful appeal against murder and aggravated robbery conviction in the Red Fox Tavern case. (Feb 2023, COA Wellington - with S McColgan)

R v L - Waikeria Prison riot/protest case. Client pleaded guilty to amended charges after 5-weeks into trial. (Feb 2023 HC Hamilton - with W Rhodes)

R v E - wounding charge. Client acquitted of shooting complainant. (Aug 2022, Manukau DC - with W Rhodes) 

TK v R - successful appeal against a High Court decision to decline name suppression until the completion of the jury trial (Aug 2022, COA Wellington)

R v P - murder trial. Client acquitted of murder and manslaughter of his child. (June 2022 - with I Stewart)