Hon Christopher Finlayson
Attorney-General
7 November 2011

Lay members of the High Court appointed

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson today announced four re-appointments and one new appointment as lay members of the High Court under the Commerce Act.

Lay members assist the Court in cases involving appeals from decisions of the Commerce Commission and in other matters under the Commerce Act, and must have specialist knowledge or experience in industry, commerce, economics, law, or accountancy.

Professor Lewis Tudor Evans has been appointed for a third term, and was initially appointed in 1996. Professor Evans is the Chair of Economics at Victoria University of Wellington. His areas of expertise include industrial organisation, financial economics and law and economics.

Professor Henry Isaac Ergas has been appointed for a second term, and was initially appointed in 2001. Professor Ergas is the Inaugural Professor of Infrastructure Economics at the University of Wollongong in Australia, and is a Senior Economic Adviser for Deloitte in Australia. His areas of expertise include regulatory economics, infrastructure, cost benefit analysis and public policy.

Professor Martin Diggory Richardson has been appointed for a second term, and was initially appointed in 2001. Professor Richardson is Deputy Director (Education) and Professor at the Australian National University’s College of Business and Economics. His areas of expertise include international trade theory, industrial organisation and applied microeconomics.

Ms Kerrin Margaret Vautier has been appointed for a second term, and was initially appointed in 2001. Ms Vautier is a consulting research economist. Her areas of expertise include competition policy, law and economics. She is a director of Fletcher Building Limited and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and is Chair of the Musica Sacra Trust and the Auckland City Mission. She is a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.

Mr Kieran Murray is a new appointment as a member. Mr Murray is Chairman of Sapere Research Group Limited and works primarily in the fields of public-policy reform, competition analysis and regulation. He has testified before New Zealand Select Committees, the High Court and Commerce Commission, and the Energy Regulatory Commission of the Philippines. He has provided expert evidence and reports to the Australian Consumer and Competition Authority, the Australian Energy Market Commission and the (former) National Electricity Code Administrator in Australia.

ENDS

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