Nominations call - Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care

The Government established the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care on 1 February 2018. This inquiry is a significant step towards acknowledging and learning from the experiences of those who have been abused in state care in the past. 

The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon Tracey Martin, is seeking nominations of highly qualified individuals  to join the Royal Commission's Chair, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, former Governor-General of New Zealand, on the Commission.

Sir Anand has been leading the consultation on the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) and the Minister will be considering his report back in forming the final TOR. The final TOR and Royal Commission's mandate will be subject to Cabinet agreement.

The Royal Commission will be investigating: 

• the nature and extent of abuse that occurred in state care during the period 1950-1999; 
• the impact of the abuse on individuals and their families, whanau and communities; and 
• the factors which may have caused or contributed to this abuse. 

The Royal Commission will also:

• report general findings on lessons learned from the past;
• analyse the  current settings available to  prevent and respond to abuse in state care; and 
• analyse the redress process for claims.

The Minister is seeking nominations of highly qualified individuals to jin the Commission who will collectively possess skills and expertise including:

1. the ability to support and contribute to complex, system-level reviews;
2. knowledge of, or experience in, examining systems or processes affecting individuals;
3. knowledge of the machinery of government and government processes;
4. knowledge of legal systems and practices or subject specific expertise;
5. experience of working within Maori kawa and tikanga; and
6. experience working in the public eye, independently and impartially without being unduly influenced.

A nomination form and candidate information sheet, which provides further details on the Royal Commission, the positions and the skills and attributes being sought, are attached below. 

Nominations must be submitted by email by 5pm Wednesday 30 May 2018. They must be accompanied by a completed nominations form and current CV (maximum four pages in length).