Minister appoints principal disputes referee

Justice Minister Simon Power today announced the appointment of Anne Darroch as the Principal Disputes Referee for a term of five years.

Ms Darroch replaces District Court Judge Peter Spiller, whose term expired earlier this year.

“Ms Darroch has played a significant role in the training of referees and I am confident she has the leadership skills required for the role of Principal Disputes Referee,” Mr Power said.

Background

Anne Darroch has been a Disputes Tribunal Referee since 1999. She is a member of the Disputes Tribunal Referees Association Executive, and the Real Estate Agents Authority Complaints Assessment Committee. She also chairs the International Education Appeal Authority. She is a former lecturer at Unitec and the University of Auckland in the areas of commercial, consumer, and corporate law. She was admitted to the bar in 1996 and was awarded a Masters in commercial law in 2004.

Referees deal with claims that come before the Disputes Tribunals. The tribunal offers a quick, inexpensive, informal, and private way to help resolve a wide range of civil disputes concerning claims for up to $15,000 (or $20,000 if both parties agree). There are no lawyers or judges with disputes heard by Referees. Any ruling made by a Referee is binding and can, if necessary, be enforced by the courts.

The key functions of the Principal Disputes Referee is to ensure that the integrity of the office of Disputes Tribunal Referees is maintained and enhance the quality of decision making by Referees. It also involves overseeing the process for selecting and training Referees, giving legal advice to Referees and advising the Chief District Court Judge on matters such as the rostering and performance of Referees.

ENDS

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