Hon Christopher Finlayson
Attorney-General
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman
Minister of Immigration

21 June 2010
Media Statement

New District Court Judge and Chair of Immigration and Protection Tribunal appointed

Chief Censor Bill Hastings has been appointed as a District Court Judge and will head the new Immigration and Protection Tribunal, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Mr Hastings is currently handing over his duties as Chief Censor, an appointment he has held since 1999. An announcement on who will be the new Chief Censor will be made in due course.

Mr Hastings will chair the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, established under the Immigration Act 2009.

The Tribunal, which must be chaired by a District Court Judge, will decide all immigration, deportation, refugee and protection appeals in New Zealand and replaces four existing appeal bodies; the Refugee Status Appeals Authority, the Removal Review Authority, the Residence Review Board and the Deportation Review Tribunal.

“The Tribunal has a critical role to play in New Zealand fulfilling its international humanitarian obligations," Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said. "It will maintain and build on the very strong reputation of the existing appeal bodies.”

Born in Canada, Mr Hastings holds a BA from the University of Toronto, and law degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School and the London School of Economics. Before becoming Chief Censor, he was Senior Lecturer in Law (teaching Legal Systems and International Law), Deputy Dean of Law, and a member of the governing Council at Victoria University of Wellington.

Mr Hastings will be sworn in at Wellington on 9 July 2010.

ENDS

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