The Associate Minister of Justice, Margaret Wilson has announced the appointment of a new President and three new members of the Law Commission.

The 6-member Law Commission is an independent government-funded advisory body which reviews areas of the law that need updating, reforming or developing.

The Auckland-based High Court Judge, Justice Robertson is appointed as President of the Law Commission for a term of five years.

Bruce Robertson was a partner in the Dunedin law firm Ross Dowling Marquet & Griffin from 1969-1987 and was a Harkness fellow in 1972-73. He served on the Otago University council from 1969 to 1988 and was Pro Chancellor from 1982 to 1988. Justice Robertson has been a member of the Legislation Advisory Committee since 1986. He was the President of the New Zealand Legal Research Foundation from 1990-1999 and was the New Zealand representative on the Council of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration 1997-2000.

The three members of the Law Commission appointed are Judge Patrick Keane, a Wellington District Court Judge; Vivienne Ullrich, a Wellington Queen's Counsel; and Professor Ngatata Love, the former Chief Executive of Te Puni Korkiri. Professor Love and Ms Ullrich are appointed as part-time Commissioners.

Judge Keane was appointed a District Court Judge in 1987 and has also held appointment as a Taxation Review Authority since that time.

Ms Ullrich is a specialist family lawyer. She was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 2000.

Professor Love was Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies at Massey University from 1986-1995 and Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri from 1995 until his recent retirement. He holds a Chair in the School of Business and Public Management at Victoria University.

The appointments replace those of the sitting Law Commission President, Justice Baragwanath, members Timothy Brewer and Margaret Lee and fill a vacancy on the Commission.

Ms Wilson thanked the retiring members of the Commission for their service and contribution to law reform and public understanding.

"It is important for the government to be able to obtain to high quality independent opinion as both a challenge and a stimulus to its own thinking. The Law Commission helps create informed debate on many public policy issues. Future work by the Commission can be expected to have a substantial impact on the continued improvement of our laws".

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