Regulatory Law through the Lens of Law-in-Context' by Dr Simon Robb

As a specialist and former academic, Dr Simon Robb has recently been reflecting more deeply on regulatory law and how his student experience might have differed had he studied at Te Piringa, well known for its law-in-context philosophy. Although he greatly enjoyed his doctoral studies in Australia, the law of regulation was approached largely through a black-letter legal framework. He suggests that a contextual approach may have produced a richer and more critical engagement with the subject. Revisiting regulatory law through a law-in-context lens, Dr Robb identifies key elements that he believes should inform the teaching of regulation. Drawing on a range of sources, he examines the political, social, and cultural forces that shape regulatory design and explores the constitutional significance that regulatory frameworks may carry. Integrating these dimensions, he argues, moves the study of regulation beyond technical doctrine and equips students to better understand the power, purpose, and practice of contemporary regulatory governance.

Dr Simon Robb has academic foundations in sociology and law, holding degrees from Massey University, the University of Waikato (LLB, first class honours), and a Doctor of Juridical Science (regulation) from the University of Western Australia. He taught mining law and tutored administrative law while studying at the University of Western Australia. Dr Robb’s career spans regulatory leadership roles across the health, professional, and public sectors, including positions at the Waikato District Health Board, the New Zealand Medical Council, and the Office of the Auditor General. For the past seven years, he has managed the New Zealand Mining Board of Examiners at WorkSafe, stewarding the regulatory regime established as a result of The Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy. Wishing to ‘contribute back’, over a period of 13 years Dr Robb provided HIV/AIDS advocacy, as a caregiver, housing trust trustee, and former Chair of the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. He is a long-standing supporter of the Wellington City Mission.