Terror attack Royal Commission begins work

The Royal Commission into the March 15 terror attack will begin considering evidence next week following the appointment of the second and final commissioner.

Former diplomat Jacqui Caine, the former New Zealand Ambassador to Chile and most recently Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Director of Special Projects in Christchurch, will join the Commission Chair Sir William Young.

“The Government is confident that the Royal Commission now has the right people in place to carry out the important task of fully understanding what happened in the lead up to the March 15 terror attack, what could have been done to stop it and how we can keep New Zealanders safe,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

The Commission has already been established, is scheduled to begin considering evidence from Monday and is due to report by 10 December 2019.

Ms Caine has resigned from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to take up the role.

“This is a critical part of our ongoing response to the attack. The Commission’s findings will help to ensure such an attack never happens here again,” Jacinda Ardern said.

Notes to editor: More details on the Royal Commission are online and a biography is below.

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Jacqui Caine

Jacqui Caine (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha), was New Zealand’s Ambassador to Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, from 2015 to 2018. Since February this year, she has been working for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as a Director – Special Projects in the Strategy and Influence team in Christchurch.

Jacqui graduated with a LLB and BCom (Accounting) from the University of Otago. She is a career diplomat and has had a number of roles in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade including in the Legal Division, Trade Negotiations Division, and Americas Division. Ms Caine has also served as the Deputy Ambassador to Singapore and Mexico and Deputy High Commissioner to Vanuatu.

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