Appointment of Executive Director, Robson Hanan Trust

Appointment of Executive Director, Robson Hanan Trust (Rethinking Crime & Punishment)

The Robson Hanan Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Ced Simpson to the position of Executive Director. The Trust administers the Rethinking Crime and Punishment project, and Justspeak, the Young Peoples Voice on Justice. Ced replaces Phil McCarthy, who was recently appointed to the role of National Director, Prison Fellowship New Zealand.

Ced brings to the role a lifetime of involvement in human rights education and advocacy, including twenty years’ experience with Amnesty International, at both an international and national level.

In announcing the appointment, Chairperson Sharron Cole said there were two important strengths that Ced will bring to the role. “First, he has considerable experience in guiding and developing volunteers. The growing volunteer force is becoming an increasingly vital part of our identity. Second, he understands the importance of matching commitment to justice with research and evidence.“

Ced’s early life shaped a passion for social justice, including an interest in criminal justice issues. As he explains, “My father was a psychiatrist who served during the Nuremberg Tribunal, whose prized personal possession was a hand-painted certificate of appreciation from inmates at Wormwood Scrubs Prison. The understandings he shared with me from an early age of the circumstances that accompany criminal behaviour were refined during my later studies in psychology and sociology.”

Founder and Strategic Adviser to the Trust, Kim Workman, welcomes the appointment. “Ced is well known in the not-for -profit sector, and has a close interest in the interface between civil society and government. Most importantly, his in-depth understanding of human rights issues will help us grapple with the growing tension between the administration of a criminal justice system which treats all citizens with dignity and respect, and the changing human rights environment in New Zealand.“

Ced will take up the position in early February.

ENDS

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