Clint Rickards, lawyer, heads back to court

Louise Nicholas works in the same district court where Clint Rickards is now a duty solicitor. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Controversial former cop Clint Rickards has begun working as a lawyer at the same Auckland courthouse where the woman who accused him of rape assists victims of crime.

Louise Nicholas could come face-to-face with Rickards again, less than four years after he was acquitted of historic rape charges against her.

Rickards had his first shift as a duty solicitor at the Auckland District Court on Thursday.

Nicholas said she was appalled that Rickards could be defending criminals so soon after he was in the dock.

Nicholas, who works as a survivor advocate, said: "I think if it was a case that he was defending and it was a survivor where I was supporting her family, I think it would be inappropriate for me to be in that courtroom. I wouldn't put the family through that, but I would be close by.

"I will always struggle with the fact he could be defending potential rapists and abusers."

His appointment has caused concerns among other members of the team of duty solicitors at Auckland District Court.

A lawyer, who did not want to be named for fear of punishment from the Law Commission, said there were many people at the courthouse "who don't want the guy in the building".

She said: "They just don't want to work with the guy.

"As lawyers we have to respect he was acquitted and we shouldn't be doing this job if we don't respect that fact. [But] he has created enormous damage to the police brand.

"He undid, in a short period of time, 100 years of work that the men and women have given to the NZ Police. Now he did that in his professional capacity, he did that on duty in his own admission. The man lacks judgment."

But duty solicitor supervisor Leigh Langridge said she had spoken to a lawyer who raised concerns about working in the same pool as Rickards.

She said: "My starting point was if they were in any way uncomfortable with anybody for any reason that I would make alternative arrangements for them so they would not be in a position that they were uneasy.

"Those alternative arrangements would not cost them the amount of time they got or their income, and that person said they did not want alternative arrangements made."

She said Rickards should be given the opportunity to move on.

Langridge said Rickards' experience as a policeman and defendant meant he had great knowledge of the law.

She said: "The thing is Clint is incredibly good. I mean it would be mind-blowing if he didn't know the law backwards because he has been on all sides of it."

Langridge said Rickards would not be handling rape cases as duty solicitors did not defend any charges carrying a maximum penalty of over two years.

Rickards was admitted to the bar in November 2008.