Ā Mātou Kaikōmihana | Our Commissioners

Kaikōmihana Matua | Chief Commissioner

Colin Carruthers

Colin Carruthers KC is one of New Zealand’s most experienced barristers and has an extensive legal repertoire. He has led many high-profile defence and prosecution cases throughout his career, which began after he completed a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) at the University of Auckland. He has substantial experience in commercial litigation, particularly concerning directors' and auditors’ responsibilities. He has considerable experience in criminal work, both prosecution and defence, including Serious Fraud Office, securities, and tax prosecutions. Mr Carruthers has worked with those who have had unsafe convictions and has a deep understanding of adversarial reviews and court procedures through his criminal defence work.

He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1990 and was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemorative Medal for services to New Zealand.

As Chief Commissioner, he chairs the Te Kāhui Board and leads the implementation of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Act 2019. He led the development of critical operational policies, such as the investigative process and how applications are made and handled. He leads engagement with crucial political, judicial, and other stakeholders, including victims’ rights organisations. He is responsible for the relationship with the CCRC’s monitoring agency, the Ministry of Justice. Colin is in the role for a term of 4 years from 15 June 2020.

Kaikōmihana Matua Tuarua | Deputy Chief Commissioner

Paula Rose

Paula Rose QSO OStJ has investigation experience, is a former member of the NZ Parole Board and has worked in various governance roles. Ms Rose’s experience in criminal justice comes from her work with NZ Police, including the National Manager of Road Policing. Ms Rose is a very experienced crown governor. She is a Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and a member of the Electricity Authority. Previous governance roles include organisations such as WorkSafe NZ and Broadcasting Standards Association. Paula is in the role for a term of 5 years from 15 June 2020. Ms Rose is a Hato Hone St John volunteer and is currently a member of the Priory Board. 

As Deputy Chief Commissioner, she chairs the CCRC Risk and Assurance Committee.

Kaikōmihana | Commissioners

Nigel Hampton

Nigel Hampton CNZM OBE KC is a criminal trial and appeal lawyer who has worked in New Zealand and internationally, including the Pacific. Mr Hampton has been a King’s Counsel since 1989. He was Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga, was the first Disciplinary Commissioner of Counsel in the International Criminal Court and has just completed his mandate as Presiding Member of the Disciplinary Board for the International Criminal Court counsel. His experience in the criminal justice sector includes academic writing on advocacy and criminal law, including in Adams on Criminal Law, and as an advocate for needed systemic reforms. He also teaches litigation skills, including in New Zealand, Tonga, and Samoa. Nigel is in the role for a term of 3 years from 15 June 2020.

Dr Virginia Hope

Dr Virginia Hope MNZM CFInstD, scientist, researcher, and medical specialist in public health medicine and medical administration. She has worked in local, regional, and national regulatory, public health and science settings and across government, Crown Research Institutes, and academia. She is a part-time Medical Director for the Institute of Environmental Science and Research and Chief Medical Officer for New Zealand Food Safety. Dr Hope has significant experience as a Crown governor, having been Chair of the former District Health Boards for Capital and Coast and the Hutt Valley 2010-2016 and appointed to diverse Crown boards, ministerial and advisory committees. She has served on the boards of professional organisations and is currently a member of the board of Taumata Arowai and the Hastings Health Centre. Virginia is in the role for a term of 3 years from 15 June 2020.

Professor Tracey McIntosh

Professor Tracey McIntosh MNZM (Ngāi Tūhoe) is a Professor of Indigenous Studies at Te Wānanga o Waipapa (School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies) at the University of Auckland. Dr McIntosh is also currently the Chief Science Advisor for the Ministry of Social Development. She is strongly interested in the interface between research and policy and ensuring that processes are responsive to, and inclusive of, tikanga and mātauranga Māori. Her expertise in the criminal justice system has been centred on extensive research on the experience of Māori and Indigenous people with the criminal justice system, focusing on incarceration. Prof McIntosh’s research focuses on social harm reduction, increasing collective wellbeing and disrupting the intergenerational transmission of social inequalities. Tracey is in the role for a term of 4 years from 15 June 2020.

Kingi Snelgar

Kingi Snelgar is a lawyer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. He has whakapapa to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Whakatōhea and Ngāi Tahu. He has experience working in the justice system as a prosecutor, defence lawyer and youth advocate. He has training that is contemporary and relevant to the CCRC’s work. Mr Snelgar is also an academic who understands tikanga Māori and te ao Māori.  Before working as a barrister, he worked at Meredith Connell, specialising in criminal prosecution, was a human rights observer at Standing Rock and was also a judge’s clerk at the Oglala Sioux Tribal Court in the USA. He has completed a Masters of Law at Harvard Law School as a Fulbright Scholar.  Kingi is in the role for a term of 5 years from 15 June 2020.

Associate Professor Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni

Associate Professor Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni (Sāmoan, Tongan) teaches Sociology and Criminology in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Auckland. Dr Suaalii-Sauni is a social scientist with legal training and has held several community board and government advisory governance roles. She was an inaugural board member of Goshen Mental Health Trust Services in Sāmoa, and in more recent years was on the Auckland Central Police District Commander’s Pacific advisory board, and the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s inaugural research ethics advisory panel. Her expertise in the criminal justice system centres on developing Pacific indigenous jurisprudential theories and conducting Pacific indigenous criminological research. Her research portfolio has also focused on models for addressing social inequalities and inequities affecting Pacific peoples in Aotearoa. Tamasailau is in the role for a term of 4 years from 12 May 2021.