New Principal Disputes Referee appointed

Associate Justice Minister Margaret Wilson today announced the appointment of Professor Peter Spiller as the new Principal Disputes Referee.

Professor Spiller, who will take up the appointment on 8 January next year, replaces Grant Aislabie who began serving as the first Principal Disputes Referee in June 1999.

Professor Spiller currently teaches in the School of Law at Waikato University. He has been involved with the Disputes Tribunal as a trainer since 1989 and as a Referee since 1991.

This experience combined with his academic background gives him a very broad overview of the Tribunal, Margaret Wilson said.

"I am confident he will provide the technical expertise to improve the consistency of the decision-making of referees."

Margaret Wilson acknowledged the contribution of Mr Aislabie and in particular the drive and commitment he has provided in establishing the position.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>