Simon is instructed by the Director of Human Rights Proceedings in claims under the Privacy Act and the Human Rights Act.

    Significant cases include:

    A claim against the Sensible Sentencing Trust relating to disclosing unlawfully obtained information on the SST’s website. The claim was settled shortly before trial on the basis that the SST acknowledged that it had breached the Privacy Act. Simon acted for the Director on a number of important interlocutory judgments of the Human Rights Review Tribunal and judicial review judgments in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

    A claim against Cameron Slater for disclosing personal information on his Whaleoil blog in breach of the Privacy Act 1993. See Director of Human Rights Proceedings v Slater [2019] NZHRRT 13.

    Singh v Singh (2016), which was a claim of racial harassment. The plaintiff was an international student with a part time job and he claimed that his employer racially abused him. The claim was successful after a 5 day trial and damages for emotional distress were awarded.

    King & Others v AG (Ministry of Health) is a claim brought by 13 plaintiffs who are caregivers of disabled family members and the disabled caregivers themselves alleging discrimination on the grounds of family status because the Ministry of Health refused to pay family members to provide care to their disabled family members when the Ministry would have paid non-family members to provide such care. The case was settled and influenced changes in law and policy in relation to care of disabled family members.

    Diamond Laser Medispa Taupo Limited v Human Rights Review Tribunal [2019] NZHC 2809. Simon acted for Zelinda Doria who claimed she had been discriminated against by her employer on the basis of her pregnancy. The employer applied to the High Court for judicial review to have Ms Doria’s claim in the Tribunal dismissed claiming that the she should have brought a claim under the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act rather than under the Human Rights Act. The High Court rejected the employer’s argument and held that Ms Doria’s claim could proceed.

    Simon has also been instructed by Youth Law to act for young people and their families in claims of discrimination against the Ministry of Education.

    Simon has acted as counsel for clients in mediations held by the Human Rights Commission.