Re: Notification under Privacy Act Information Privacy Principle 3A

Ms Goulter,

I acknowledge your email notifying me that the New Zealand Law Society has received information concerning my use of the description “attorney” and the alleged carrying out of legal work.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not a New Zealand lawyer, barrister, solicitor, attorney-at-law or counsel. I do not hold a practising certificate and do not represent that I hold any New Zealand legal qualification or professional status.

I do not advance any “sovereign citizen” argument, nor do I contend that I, the trustees or the Trust are outside New Zealand law.

In previous correspondence, I have used the word “attorney” to describe what I understood to be a private authority or agency relationship. I did not intend that description as a claim that I was an attorney-at-law, lawyer or regulated New Zealand legal practitioner.

However, to remove any future ambiguity, I have ceased using the descriptions “attorney” and “counsel” and will use “authorised administrative contact for the trustees.” This clarification is not an admission that any previous description breached the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006.

My activities have included trust administration, organising records and evidence, making information requests and complaints, preparing factual correspondence, and communicating the trustees’ position. If the Law Society alleges that any particular activity amounted to the provision of legal services, reserved legal work or misleading conduct, I require the specific conduct and statutory basis to be identified before I can respond substantively.

Your notification appears to be preliminary and does not provide sufficient particulars to identify the alleged conduct. Please therefore provide:

1. The Law Society’s reference number for this matter.
2. Confirmation whether the information is presently being assessed as a preliminary report or whether a formal investigation has commenced.
3. Confirmation whether any response or information is presently required from me and, if so, the statutory authority, applicable timeframe and consequences of not responding.
4. The specific provisions of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 that the Law Society considers may be engaged.
5. The exact words, documents, correspondence or publications relied upon, together with their complete context.
6. The relevant dates, recipients, entities, proceedings and matters to which the concern relates.

Confirmation whether the concern relates to:

a. an allegedly protected or misleading description;

b. work within a reserved area;

c. preparation of documents for filing;

d. representation or appearance before a court or tribunal; or

e. some other specifically identified conduct.

1. If gain or reward is material to any alleged offence, the nature of the alleged gain or reward and the evidence relied upon.
2. If representation before a court or tribunal is alleged, whether any permission or statutory authorisation for non-lawyer representation has been considered.
3. A copy of the report, referral and supporting material, or sufficient disclosure of its substance to permit a meaningful response. Please also disclose the source’s identity and capacity to the extent lawfully permitted. If information is withheld, please identify the applicable legal ground.
4. Confirmation that the original report, attachments, associated metadata and relevant internal records will be preserved.

Privacy Act request

Please also treat this email as a request under information privacy principle 6 and Part 4 of the Privacy Act 2020 for access to all personal information held about me in connection with this matter.

This request includes the original report or referral and attachments; correspondence, emails, notes, assessments and internal referrals mentioning me; information about the date and source of collection; records of any use or disclosure; and associated metadata to the extent held.

If any information is withheld, please identify the statutory withholding ground, explain its application, and provide the remainder of the information in redacted form where possible. Please respond within the statutory timeframe or notify me of any lawful extension.

Please also place the following correction statement prominently on the relevant file:

“Tracy Lynch is not a lawyer and does not hold a practising certificate. She states that previous use of the word ‘attorney’ referred to private authority or agency and was not intended as a claim to professional legal status. She has ceased using ‘attorney’ and ‘counsel’ to avoid future ambiguity. She disputes that she knowingly carried out reserved legal work or misleadingly represented herself as a lawyer.”

If the Law Society does not accept that correction, please attach the statement to the disputed information so that it is read whenever that information is used or disclosed.

Fair opportunity to respond

Before making an adverse factual finding based on disputed material, please provide the substance of that material and a reasonable opportunity for me and the trustees to respond, subject to any properly identified lawful confidentiality restrictions.

I am concerned by the seriousness of an allegation presented without identifying the alleged communication or conduct. Nevertheless, I am willing to address any properly particularised concern professionally and in writing.

Administrative expenditure

The trustees are maintaining contemporaneous records of reasonable staff and agent time and actual expenditure caused by this matter. Any question concerning legal liability for those costs and their quantum is expressly reserved.

Nothing in this notice purports to impose a unilateral fee, create an agreed contractual charge or assert that a debt is presently due.

Nothing in this response constitutes an admission that I provided reserved legal services, used a misleading description or committed any regulatory offence. All rights are reserved.

Please communicate in writing so that a complete and accurate record is maintained.

Cheers,

Tracy Lynch
Authorised administrative contact for the trustees of inLandsAirWater Counsel LNDA 
Not a lawyer

On Tuesday, July 28, 2026 16:32 NZST, Laura Goulter <[email protected]> wrote:

Tēnā koe Ms Lynch

 

My name is Laura Goulter and I write from the New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa.

 

This is a notification that we have received information about you raising concerns about you describing yourself as an attorney and carrying out legal work. We are treating this information as a report of potential regulatory offending under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 and will consider what steps, if any, may need to be taken. We will be in touch with you if anything further is required from you.

 

For more information on how the Law Society handles information including personal information, please refer to our Information Handling Policy which can be viewed here NZLS | Information handling policy. This Policy also contains information about your right to access and seek correction of your personal information.  

 

 

Ngā mihi
 

 

Laura Goulter

Legal Services Manager – Professional Standards 

New Zealand Law Society  ·   Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa

DDI 04 463 2980  ·   lawsociety.org.nz

laura[email protected]

Level 4, 17-21 Whitmore Street, Wellington ·   PO Box 5041, Wellington 6140  ·   DX SP20202