Judicial Conduct Commissioner appointed

Auckland based barrister Paul Collins has been confirmed by parliament as the new Judicial Conduct Commissioner, Attorney-General Chris Bishop announced today.

Mr Collins has almost 40 years of experience in legal practice and for most of the past 30 years has specialised in law and practice relating to the regulation of the legal profession.

This work has included professional disciplinary matters at all levels from Standards Committees to Supreme Court appearances. 

His early career was with Glaister Ennor in Auckland and he was the senior litigation partner at that firm from 1999 till 2011 before moving to the independent bar. He has been based at Shortland Chambers in Auckland since that time.

Mr Collins will take up his appointment in the next few weeks following the issue of a warrant by the Governor-General. 

He replaces retiring Commissioner Alan Ritchie. Mr Ritchie is a former Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the New Zealand Law Society and a Parole Board Panel Convenor who has been the Judicial Conduct Commissioner since 2015. ...