Karen Harding is a Barrister and Solicitor and is the Principal of the firm Karen Harding Law Barristers and Solicitors in Auckland and is the Trust Account Supervisor. 

Karen specialises in Criminal and Traffic Law and driver licencing matters.  

Karen also undertakes a range of other types of cases involving litigation including some civil litigation, some employment law matters, Maori land succession applications at the Maori Land Court and some family court litigation and matters relating to fishing.  

Karen’s clients include people who have been, or will be, charged with a criminal or traffic offence who need to appear in court or require a Limited Licence  for work purposes or need an Alcohol Interlock Licence.  

A client may also have a driver licencing problem with the NZTA that requires legal submissions to be prepared for example if the NZTA proposes to disqualify or revoke a “P” endorsement or a heavy traffic licence and requires legal advice. 

Karen also represent clients for parole applications.

Background Information:

Karen has been a lawyer since 1997 and has represented thousands of clients on charges ranging from driving offences to very serious criminal offences  including defending clients in  complex multi-accused jury trials and in long fraud cases, serious drug offences and sexual crimes and has prepared over a thousand limited licence applications.

Karen is an experienced litigator conducting cases in the District Court, High Court.  She also has prepared and appeared on appeals including on civil cases in the Court of Appeal and in the Supreme Court.

Since 2015 Karen has also been involved in leading, preparing and conducting complex civil litigation assisting human trafficking victims (fishers and seafarers) to obtain justice in relation to Human Rights Abuses at sea and on representing them on their unpaid wage claims, Employment Law, Admiralty Law and Fisheries Act case matters.  This involved appearing in the Employment Relations Authority (ERA), the Employment Court, the District Court, the High Court, the Admiralty Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of New Zealand.  This also included appearing as counsel in court cases in Christchurch and Wellington. This work involved large numbers of fishing crew from ships who were international clients who did not speak English so that translators were used.  This case required extensive preparation of legal documents and submissions  over 5 years  and  went to the Supreme Court of New Zealand.  The case  required national and  international travel, the assembling and the management of a large team of support staff including Indonesian translators.