Hon Simon Power
Minister of Justice
23 August 2011Media Statement
Appointments to key roles in new legal aid system
Justice Minister Simon Power today announced the appointment of retired district court judge Bernard Kendall as the
first legal aid Review Authority.
The Review Authority was established under the Legal Services Act 2011 to review decisions made by the Secretary for
Justice in regard to lawyers’ applications to become or remain a legal aid lawyer.
“Judge Kendall’s extensive judicial experience will be a valuable asset to this role,” Mr Power said.
Judge Kendall was appointed to the bench in 1982 and retired this year. He is a former executive judge for the Northern
Region and was appointed chair of the Representation Commission in 1997. He was a panel convenor and member of the
Parole Board from 2003 to 2011, and chair of the Supervising Committee under the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Act from
2004 to 2011.
Mr Power also announced the appointment of Harete Hipango as an additional member of the Legal Aid Tribunal. The
tribunal reviews legal aid granting decisions made by the Legal Services Commissioner.
Ms Hipango is a barrister with significant court experience in all jurisdictions. Her appointment brings the number of
part-time tribunal members to 15.
Both appointments are made under the Legal Services Act 2011, which came into effect on 1 July.
ENDS