Legal alumnus recognised for helping youth

Otago alumnus, former Invercargill lawyer Fergus More (LLB, 1980) has recently been honoured with the King's Service Medal (KSM) for his contribution to the legal profession and the community.

From the mid-1980s Fergus represented Southland children in the Family Court.

"It was a very fulfilling role; I really enjoyed it, and I represented children up until the end of last year."

Fergus says from the beginning of the Invercargill Youth Court in 1989, he was one of its main Advocates.

"With the passing of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act, Family Group Conferences were created. I was appointed the first Youth Court Advocate in Southland.

"You are not just working with your client (the youth) you are bringing others in on board to try and achieve an outcome that meets the needs of both the offender and the victim.

"You are engaging with victims, with police youth aid, with social workers, with family members and of course your own client who is the centrepiece of it all."

He says stand out professors during his time at Otago included John Smiley, Geoff Hall and the late Kevin Dawkins.

"I must say I am very grateful to the University for creating that opportunity. I certainly enjoyed the lecturers who were very dedicated to their work and many of them continued their profession for many years. I have developed a number of good lecturer friends, and I enjoyed playing golf with a few of them."

He says while at Otago he played rugby and began his passion for the card game bridge.

He says he was a "barman" for four years during his university days, which involved working behind the bar at many student hops and other social events.

Fergus says a personal highlight from his long and distinguished career was when he represented a 16-year-old female who faced a charge of murder, along with seven others. He says three were convicted of murder, two having pleaded guilty, including his client.

He argued a sentence of life imprisonment was "manifestly unjust" in that a lifetime period of parole upon release from prison was too arduous and harsh a punishment especially when the young mind was not fully developed when committing the crime.

"So, it ended up being a finite term of imprisonment with a set period of parole, which meant that she could then enjoy freedom without parole conditions by the time she reached her 30s. The Court of Appeal accepted the legal arguments, and the decision is effectively a leading case.

"For me it was a pleasing outcome having followed her fortunes from the day she was arrested until the day the Court of Appeal gave its decision."

A strong family tradition has been maintained in the law. His father, fellow Otago alumnus, John Samuel David More (LLB, 1941) worked for decades as a Dunedin lawyer.

One of seven children, Fergus' brothers David and the late Adrian were also Otago law alumni, who went on to set up Octagon Chambers in 1995. Both brothers have sons (Andrew and William) who gained law degrees at Otago. His sister Mary joined the law profession, after a career in nursing and studied law in Wellington.

His wife Brigid completed a Bachelor of Education at Otago (1981) and has taught for nearly 40 years and continues to teach at Invercargill's Verdon College.

Brigid was the first to learn about the award, as she had seen an email arrive on their home computer. Fergus says he wondered why that night she kept texting him saying "are you coming home?"

"I came home, and I looked at the computer screen and I was gobsmacked. I couldn't believe that I was nominated. I know I have had a long career and commitment to community service, but I never thought it would get to that level of recognition.

"So many of my very good friends and colleagues have done exactly the same kind of work. They have been quite industrious or busy as I have been. You look at them and say, 'You deserve one of these too!'"

"I do have to thank Brigid in particular, because we did this journey together and she was very much involved in anything that I was doing. I am also grateful to our children and our friends that have supported us along the way".

Fergus is proud of his four children.

Stephanie, who studied at the University of Canterbury, is a lawyer in Auckland. Otago alumna Rosamund More (BCom, LLB,) is Senior Manager Legal Procurement and Property at Auckland recruitment firm Robert Walters.

Charles, works in finance in Sydney. He studied engineering and completed a Master's in Business Management at the University of Canterbury.

Younger son Henry lives in Invercargill. He has written a book about suffering a traumatic brain injury when skiing at the age of nine.

Fergus spent more than 44 years with Invercargill firm Scholefield Law, where he started out. He has volunteered his legal skills to many organisations across Southland, including being President of the Southland District Law Society, Convenor, and Member of the Southland Standards Committee, lawyer and Board member for Hawthorndale Care Village Board, Chairman of the Calvary Rest Home, and lawyer for the Verdon College Board of Trustees.

Additionally, Fergus has served on many other organisations such as the Southland Rugby Disciplinary Committee, CCS Disability, Terry Boyle Scholarship Fund, St Mary's Basilica Parish Council, Invercargill Musical Theatre Society and the Rotary Club of Invercargill Sunrise.

-Kōreroby Kerry Dohig, Communications Adviser Development and Alumni Relations Office

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