Ko wai mātou

Our people

Dr Amokura Kawharu

Tumu Whakarae | President

Executive Assistant contact: Judy McLuskie, 04 914 4809
Email: com@lawcom.govt.nz
Amokura Kawharu

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.

Geof Shirtcliffe

Kaikōmihana | Commissioner

Executive Assistant contact: Judy McLuskie, 04 914 4809
Email: com@lawcom.govt.nz

Geof Shirtcliffe

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 contact: Judy McLuskie, 04 914 4809
Email: com@lawcom.govt.nz

Claudia Geiringer

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 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.

Sindy Gallen

Pou Whakahaere Matua | General Manager

Phone: 04 914 4801
Email: sgallen@lawcom.govt.nz

Linda McIver

Pou Ārahi Ture | General Counsel

Phone: 04 914 4825 
Email: lmciver@lawcom.govt.nz

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