New Ombudsman Values Academic Links
University of Auckland Law Professor Ron Paterson begins his five year term as Ombudsman on 4 June 2013, and looks
forward to maintaining close relations with the Law School.
Professor Paterson has spent half of his career in legal education and half in health policy and regulation, preparing
him well for this new role. He believes it would be good to see more movement of academics into public roles.
“Teaching, research, writing and public speaking equips you well for public service. There is a great pool of talent
across the University able to contribute to public life. I believe a lot of University academics underestimate how
valuable their skills are in this respect.
“It’s good for public administration and it enriches the University. You acquire very useful skills as an academic,
researcher, and teacher. And conversely, moving back from public administration roles, you have applied skills that give
new insights and dimensions to your teaching and research.
“I see opportunities for colleagues and students to be involved in the office. There is a strong Public Law team at the
Auckland Law School and I hope to share their expertise,” he says.
Professor Paterson will be working in Wellington and Auckland.
“There won’t be so much time for reflection as I’ll be working in a very busy office. I’m looking forward to learning
across new sectors, and applying my skills there. As an academic my passion is health law and policy. I intend to
maintain my interests in this area and to continue writing as I did while I was Health and Disability Commissioner,” he
says.
Working with Chief Ombudsman Dame Beverley Wakem, Professor Paterson will share the workload of a very busy office,
dealing with complaints of maladministration by public agencies and Official Information Act requests.
His experience as Health and Disability Commissioner (2000-2010) and as Chair of the New Zealand Banking Ombudsman
Scheme (2010-13) has given him a wealth of experience in complaint handling, and his work as a Deputy Director-General
of Health (1999-2000) gave him valuable insights into the workings of central government.
“The role of Ombudsman is an important part of our public institutions. It’s an independent role; as an Ombudsman you
are an officer of Parliament rather than reporting to a Minister. The role recognises the importance of that
independence to enable effective checks on administrative action.
“I look forward to the new challenges and to helping ensure fairness and openness in public administration. I see the
broader education and public watchdog aspects of the Ombudsman’s role as vital,” he says.
Bio details – Professor Ron Paterson
Ron Paterson is Professor of Health Law and Policy at the University of Auckland. He was New Zealand Health and
Disability Commissioner 2000–2010. As New Zealand Law Foundation International Research Fellow, Ron wrote The Good
Doctor: What Patients Want (2012).
With law degrees from Auckland and Oxford Universities, Ron was a visiting law professor at the Universities of Ottawa
and British Columbia in the mid-1980s, before returning to the University of Auckland (1986-99). He has taught and
researched in the United States, as Fulbright Visiting Professor of Biomedical Ethics at Case Western Reserve University
(1993) and Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy at Georgetown University (1998-99). He worked as Deputy
Director-General, Safety & Regulation in the New Zealand Ministry of Health (1999-2000).
Ron is recognised internationally for his expertise in regulation of patients’ rights and healthcare quality
improvement. He gave evidence on ‘Safeguarding Patients’ as an expert witness before the Shipman Inquiry in England
(2004). In 2004-05 he chaired two major health system reviews in Australia: the Review of the Assessment of
Overseas-Trained Surgeons, and the Review of National Arrangements for Safety and Quality of Health Care in Australia.
Ron is co-editor of the textbook Medical Law in New Zealand (2006).
Ron is Chair of the New Zealand Banking Ombudsman Scheme, and a member of the Board of the Royal Australasian College of
Physicians.
ENDS