Dr Amokura Kawharu
Tumu Whakarae | President
Executive Assistant: Judy McLuskie
Phone: 04 914 4809
Email: com@lawcom.govt.nz
Dr Amokura Kawharu practised commercial law in Auckland and Sydney between 1997 and 2004 and then worked in academia from 2005 to 2020, specialising in commercial and investment arbitration, property law and international economic regulation. Amokura is co-author of Williams & Kawharu on Arbitration and has published widely in the arbitration law field. She is a barrister of the High Court of New Zealand, a Fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand, and a Fellow Ahurei of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Amokura has a BA/LLB (Hons) from Waipapa Taumata Rau Auckland University, an LLM from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington.
Her iwi are Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi.
Amokura is often invited to give speeches and presentations on general law reform topics and to speak about the work of the Commission. A selection of speeches and presentations are linked below:
- Kia Whanake Ngā Ture o Aotearoa mā te Arotake Motuhake, Keynote to the Legal Research Foundation, Auckland, 6 August 2020
- Te Tiriti into the Future, Oromāhoe, 4 February 2021
- Te Aka Matua o te Ture: the Parent Vine of the Law, Hui-ā-tau o te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa, Christchurch, 2 July 2021
- Weavers of people: rangatira and… arbitrators? AMINZ Annual Conference, Rotorua, 7 August 2021
- The changing roles of Law Commissioners, NZCPL Public Officeholder Series, online, 6 October 2021
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Law Reform Speech to Chapman Tripp National Litigation Group, 2 September 2022
- The Emperor’s Servant: the unruly statute book and what the Law Commission is or could be doing about it, 15 August 2024
Geof Shirtcliffe
Kaikōmihana | Commissioner
Executive Assistant: Judy McLuskie
Phone: 04 914 4809
Email: com@lawcom.govt.nz
Geof Shirtcliffe was for 22 years a partner in the Wellington office of Chapman Tripp, where he specialised in corporate transactions, securities offerings and corporate governance. Geof also advised a number of governments and regulatory bodies on commercial law reform matters. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked in finance.
Geof is a past president of the Law and Economics Association of New Zealand, and for two years taught the Business Associations course at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. He has a BA (Hons) and LLB (Hons) from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and an MA from University of London.
Geof is a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, and is the Deputy President of the Commission.
Professor Claudia Geiringer
Kaikōmihana | Commissioner
Executive Assistant: Judy McLuskie
Phone: 04 914 4809
Email: com@lawcom.govt.nz
Professor Claudia Geiringer holds the Chair in Public Law at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington (a role from which she is currently on leave). She has previously served in a number of roles including Crown Counsel at New Zealand's Crown Law Office, acting Special Counsel for Human Rights at the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office in Australia, Director of the New Zealand Centre for Public Law at Te Herenga Waka, and contract historian working on Wai 45 the Muriwhenua Land Claim.
During her career, Claudia has practised, taught and published on numerous aspects of public law including bills of rights/human rights, electoral law, parliamentary practice, reception of international law, citizenship and immigration, social security and comparative constitutional law. She has a BA (Hons) in history from Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo University of Otago, an LLB from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and an LLM from University of Columbia.
Claudia is a Fellow Ahurei of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.
Ngā Kaikomihana o te wā o mua | Past Commissioners
Below is a list of Commissioners since the Law Commission's inception in 1987.
Commissioners are ordered alphabetically by surname, and their names, titles and post-nominals are as they are given in the Law Commission's annual reports.
Helen Aikman QC
Leslie H Atkins QC
Hon Justice David Baragwanath – President
Hon Justice Peter Blanchard
Judge Peter Boshier
Timothy Brewer ED
Associate Professor Donna Buckingham
Emeritus Professor John Burrows QC
Jim Cameron CMG
Belinda Clark QSO
Richard Clarke QC
Donald Dugdale
Hon Justice Eddie Durie
Sian Elias QC
Hon Sir Grant Hammond KNZM – President
Paul Heath QC
Denese Henare ONZM
Jack Hodder
Frances Joychild
Judge Patrick Keane
Sir Kenneth Keith KBE QC – President
Judge Margaret Lee
Professor Ngatata Love QSO JP
Hon Dr Wayne Mapp QSO
Professor Geoff McLay
Helen McQueen
Joanne Morris OBE
Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer SC – President
Hon Justice J Bruce Robertson – President
Val Sim
Professor Richard J Sutton
George Tanner CNZM QC
Vivienne Ullrich QC
Hon Justice John Wallace
Hon Justice Christian Whata
Sir Douglas White QC – President
Margaret A Wilson
Rt Hon Sir Owen Woodhouse KBE DSC – President
Dr Warren Young