Dave Barr

Doctor of Philosophy candidate

With a background as a construction lawyer and mediator, for Dave Barr focusing on the legal response to defective buildings was the obvious research topic for his PhD.

“For two decades I’ve been advising and acting for building owners, councils, construction companies and building professionals on their obligations under the common law and the Building Act 2004. A significant amount of this work has related to building defects – mostly leaky buildings. The common refrain on all sides of these disputes is that the legal response to defective buildings, claims in negligence, produces extremely unsatisfactory outcomes.

“Once I decided to do a PhD, I wanted to research how we got to this approach to defective buildings and, more importantly, whether there was a better approach. This area is subject to repeated reform, so I’m hopeful that my research will help guide the industry into a more satisfactory space.”

Dave’s PhD research is supervised by Professor Allan Beever from the AUT Law School.

Inspiring and rewarding
The discussions with his supervisors are a highlight of his studies, Dave says.

“After two decades of working in the area my research relates to, I thought my ideas would be near to fully developed, but the challenging and interesting discussions I’ve had with my supervisors and other staff have given me new insights and ideas. I initially thought that I’d struggle with remote study, but the support that I’ve received from the AUT Law School and the library staff has meant this hasn’t been an issue at all.”

He wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a PhD in law.

“Most lawyers are passionate about the law, but the reality of being a lawyer is that you rarely get to pursue an area of interest independently. Academic pursuits offer extraordinary freedom of thought, and the originality required in a doctoral programme requires you to pursue your own ideas. It’s incredibly liberating and rewarding.”

Advice for other students
Dave has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own PhD journey.

“Be wary of attempting a research topic with too broad a scope, but don’t shy away from an idea because it is too ‘big’. There is so much reward in tackling difficult or controversial questions.”

He says he made the most of the guidance offered to help him refine his research topic.

“The AUT staff were responsive to my enrolment queries, and I received significant guidance before I had formally applied. The guidance was extremely helpful and challenged me to tackle the bigger issues that I had tried to avoid in my original proposal. This has shaped my research in a far more positive direction than where my initial thoughts were leading.”