A man has been cleared of family violence charges after a lengthy retrial in Hamilton.

The jury found the man, who has permanent name suppression to protect the identity of his children, not guilty on seven charges in the Hamilton District Court today.

Claims of headlocks, threats to life and assaults on children are at the centre of a trial involving a prominent couple.

Crown prosecutor Geraldine Kelly told a jury in her opening submissions at the Hamilton District Court this morning, the couple presented themselves as "the perfect type of family" that some people thought "lived the perfect lifestyle".

An Auckland mother-of-two has been sentenced to home detention for her role in the group kidnapping of a woman who died trying to escape. 

Cecilia Hansen, 30, appeared in front of Justice Murray Gilbert at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday having plead guilty to the kidnapping of Jindarat Prutsiriporn. 

The man who murdered and sexually violated elderly Te Atatu woman Cunxiu Tian was released from prison 38 days before her brutal death.

Jaden Lee Stroobant on Wednesday pleaded guilty to murdering the 69-year-old in her home on January 15 last year.

Two Auckland criminal barristers have each begun a project to help sentenced people in different ways than defending them or providing legal services.

Susan Gray and Emma Priest, from the recently re-established Blackstone Chambers, aim to follow the words of Barbara Mikulski, who said: “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.”

A group of people accused of kidnapping a Thai woman before she leaped to her death from a moving car called themselves 'ghost unit' and tried to kidnap her once before, court documents reveal. 

Six people have denied Jindarat Prutsiriporn's manslaughter and five others have denied kidnapping her and will stand trial in May next year. 

Auckland criminal barrister Emma Priest has helped develop a practice management app specifically for barristers.

It began when she went out as a barrister earlier this year, re-establishing Blackstone Chambers in Wyndham Street together with a number of other colleagues.

“One of my key concerns was what document and practice management system I should use,” Ms Priest says.

A man was left with a facial gash needing 35 stitches after trying to stop a hammer-wielding jewellery thief at Auckland's biggest mall.

The father of one, who worked at Sylvia Park, saw 23-year-old Ora Neilson leave the Michael Hill store after smashing open a cabinet and grabbing nearly $40,000 of necklaces in May.

A 22-year-old man accused of bashing a man with a hammer during a robbery attempt at an Auckland jewellers has been remanded in custody.

Ora Neilson, of Mount Wellington, appeared in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday by video link.

He has been charged with aggravated wounding and shoplifting at Sylvia Park mall on May 26.

The issue of retention of women in senior roles in the law is a hot topic. A qualitative research project has been undertaken by the AWLA and a strong stance has been taken by Chris Moore, president of the New Zealand Law Soceity, declaring the progression of women in the law to be the Society’s theme for 2014.