Governance Arrangements

Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias studied law at the University of Auckland, graduating with LLB (Hons), and was admitted to the Bar in 1970.
Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias gained a JSM from Stanford University in the United States, before entering legal practice from 1972 in Auckland.
Dame Sian served as a Law Commissioner from 1986 until 1990 before being appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1988 and a judge of the High Court in 1995.
Justice Elias became Chief Justice in 1999, and was awarded the GNZM the same year.
Dame Sian became a member of the Supreme Court on its establishment in January 2004.

Justice Susan Glazebrook has an MA (1st Class Hons), an LLB (Hons) and a Dip. Bus (Finance) from Auckland University and a D.Phil from Oxford University in French legal history.
Before being appointed to the High Court in May 2000 she was a partner at Simpson Grierson and a member of various commercial Boards and government advisory committees.
The Hon Justice Glazebrook has served as President of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association in 1998 and was appointed to the Court of Appeal in May 2002.

Justice Randerson graduated from Auckland University with LLB (Honours) in 1972. He joined the legal firm of Wallace McLean Bawden & Partners (later Kensington Swan) and remained with the firm as a senior litigation partner until 1989, when he commenced practice as a barrister.
Justice Randerson was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1996 and appointed a judge of the High Court from October 1997 and has sat from time to time in the Divisional Courts of the Court of Appeal.
In December 2004 he was appointed Chief High Court Judge.

Justice Rodney Hansen graduated LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1969 and was admitted to the Bar the same year.
Justice Rodney Hansen joined the law firm of McKegg & Adams-Smith in 1968, travelled overseas from 1969 and upon return to New Zealand in 1973 took up a staff solicitor position with Simpson Coates & Clapshaw.
In 1976 Justice Hansen was made a partner of Simpson Coates & Clapshaw, and later Simpson Grierson and Simpson Grierson Butler White, before becoming a Barrister in 1991.
Justice Hansen was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1995 and took appointment to the High Court bench in 1999.

Judge Shaw has a BA and Diploma of Teaching from Canterbury University (1969) and was a teacher until 1979. She graduated LLB from Auckland University in 1981.
Judge Shaw practised law first at Meredith Connell and later at Haigh Lyon where she was made a partner in 1986.
In 1992 Judge Shaw was appointed to the District Court and in 1999 was appointed to the Employment Court.

Chief Judge Johnson graduated Auckland University with LLB DipCrim. He practised law for 24 years in Auckland (save for 2.5 years as a Crown Counsel in Hong Kong in the mid-1970s) before being appointed to the District Court Bench in January 1993.
Chief Judge Johnson was appointed Chief District Court Judge on 1 April 2005. The Chief Judge is also a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pitcairn Islands, and a Judge-Advocate for the New Zealand Defence Forces.

Judge Adams attended Auckland University where he completed his LLB degree in 1969. He practised as a solicitor in Whangarei and Auckland between 1970 and 1984, then as a barrister in Auckland until his appointment as a District Court Judge and Family Court Judge in 1995.

David Goddard studied at Victoria University and at Oxford University, and taught law at Bristol University before returning to New Zealand to practise law. He spent 10 years at Chapman Tripp before commencing practice as a barrister sole in 1999, and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2003. He has a wide-ranging commercial litigation practice, and is also involved in law reform and legal policy advice in New Zealand and overseas.

Professor Rishworth holds an LLB (Honours) and Master of Jurisprudence (Distinction) from The University of Auckland and is a Barrister of the High Court of New Zealand.
Professor Rishworth joined the University in 1987 following ten years in private legal practice. He was appointed Dean in 2006.

Liz Sinclair has a First Class Honours degree in History from the University of Otago and is a past President of the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration.
Liz was appointed Deputy Secretary Operations/Chief Operating Officer of the Ministry of Justice in December 2003.
Liz has over 20 years experience in public sector management working at both central agency and departmental level. Liz was most recently General Manager Strategic Design at Inland Revenue Department and has held a number of senior roles in the Department. Prior to joining Inland Revenue in 1983, Liz worked at the State Services Commission.

Professor Waring has a PhD in Political Economy from Waikato University.
Professor Waring is Professor of Public Policy at The Institute for Public Policy (IPP) at AUT University. She was previously Professor of Public Policy and directed the Master of Public Policy degree programme at Massey University (Albany). Professor Waring sits on The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Board of Directors.
In 1975, Professor Waring became New Zealand's youngest Member of Parliament. She is a renowned political economist, feminist, development consultant and author.