Travel and Learning Award for Oliver Fredrickson

Oliver’s plan

Oliver will use the Travel and Research Award to complete a fellowship at the UK Centre for Court Innovation in London. Like its newly established New Zealand counterpart, the UK Centre for Court Innovation aims to build a justice system which is fair and effective. To this end, it promotes evidence-based justice policy reforms and conducts research into specific justice innovations.

During his time at the UK Centre for Court Innovation, Oliver will conduct a comparative analysis of the implementation of problem-solving courts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He will also present a seminar series to the UK Centre for Court Innovation and its stakeholders about the development of Te Ao Mārama.

About Oliver

Oliver is a criminal defence lawyer with a passion for criminal justice reform.

After completing his LLB(Hons)/BCom at Victoria University, Oliver worked as a Judge’s Clerk for Heemi Taumaunu, Chief Judge of the District Court. While there he played a significant role in the design, development, and implementation of Te Ao Mārama – the new vision for the District Court. In this role, Oliver visited problem-solving courts around the country and observed how they improved the courtroom experience for defendants, victims, and their whānau.

In 2023, Oliver obtained an LLM(Hons) from Columbia University. Since then, he has worked as a junior barrister for Christopher Stevenson KC and as a foreign qualified lawyer in the United Kingdom.

Oliver is a strong supporter of evidence-based criminal justice policy. Completing a fellowship at the UK Centre for Court Innovation will help him to identify and develop evidence-based justice initiatives and then turn those initiatives into tangible policy action.

Grant Amount

$6,744 in 2025 to support travel