ABOUT THE COMMISSIONER

The current Commissioner:

This is Sir David Gascoigne, KNZM CBE LLM. He took up the position on 3 August 2009.

Sir David Gascoigne,
KNZM CBE LLM

His main professional career has been as a corporate lawyer. He was a Chairman of Partners of Rudd Watts & Patterson, then subsequently a National Chairman of Partners of the merged firm now know as Minter Ellison Rudd Watts. He is now a consultant to that firm, and is a member of the firm's Board.

He holds, or has held, a number of Chairmanships and Directorships of companies in both the private and the public sectors. He also holds, or has held, many senior positions in a wide variety of forms of arts administration.

He was, in 2005, the Chairman of the Rugby World Cup 2011 Bid Advisory Committee. And he is now a member of the Minister's 2011 Group.

He is also the Independent Reviewer of the Auditor-General's audit allocation processes.

Ian Haynes,
ONZM BA LLB

The previous Commissioner:

The initial Commissioner was Ian Haynes, ONZM BA LLB.

He took office in 2005, when the enabling Act came into force. His term of office came to an end on 12 July 2009.

He is a past President of the New Zealand Law Society and a former President of the Auckland District Law Society.

He is well known and respected in law society circles, both in New Zealand and internationally. He is the architect of a new model for the governance of the legal profession on which the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act is based.