Professor Peter Devonshire's Inaugural Address 2023

• Introduced by the Hon. Justice Stephen Kos
• Vote of thanks by Dr. Noel Ingram KC

An account of profits is a powerful remedy in the litigator's arsenal. It is the means by which parties are required to disgorge illicit gains when they have profited from their wrong. 

An account of profits has an ancient lineage that can be traced to the 13th century. In its modern application it arises in cases of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence and intellectual property infringement. Its most significant role is in relation to fiduciary duty. 

The standards governing a fiduciary relationship are notoriously strict and an account of profits is the paradigm remedy for enforcing this normative regime. 

The pivotal role of an account of profits in this setting will be the focus of this lecture

Peter Devonshire teaches and researches in private law, focusing on obligations, remedies, property rights, equity and trusts.

Peter's monograph, Account of Profits, Thomson Reuters, Wellington, 2013 was joint winner of the JF Northey Memorial Book Award. Peter was co-editor and contributor to The Impact of Equity and Restitution in Commerce, Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2019.

Peter’s articles have appeared in leading journals in England, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. These include Law Quarterly Review, Modern Law Review, Cambridge Law Journal, Restitution Law Review, Lloyd's Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly, Journal of Business Law, Australian Law Journal, Sydney Law Review, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, UBC Law Review, New Zealand Universities Law Review and New Zealand Law Review.

Peter regularly presents at conferences and seminars in New Zealand and overseas.

Date: Wednesday, 10 May 2023

Time & Location: 

6pm-7pm Lecture (Stone Lecture Theatre 801-316)
7pm-7.30pm Reception (Law Staff Common Room 801-409)
Auckland Law School, 9 Eden Crescent, Auckland 1010