Who's who

Chairperson

  • Sir Ron Young

    Sir Ron was appointed chairperson of the New Zealand Parole Board in August 2018.

    He has spent more than 27 years in the judiciary, 14 of those as a High Court Judge before he stepped down in 2015.

    Sir Ron was Chief District Court Judge from 1993 until 2001, responsible for overseeing 112 judges from the criminal, civil, Family, and Youth court jurisdictions nationwide.

    Sir Ron was previously a member of the Chief Justice’s panel reviewing media televising, photographing and use of sound recording in court.

    He is a current Judge of both the Solomon Islands' Court of Appeal and the Vanuatu Court of Appeal, and has sat on the divisional courts of the Court of Appeal in New Zealand.

Panel convenors

  • Judge Gus Andrée Wiltens
    Qualified BA/LLB from Auckland in 1976.  Worked in Morrinsville and Auckland before travelling overseas.  Worked for the NSW Law Society in Sydney for a year, in Hong Kong as a prosecutor for seven years and then as a Magistrate for almost nine years. After returning to New Zealand worked at the SFO for 11 years as Assistant Director Prosecutions.  Was appointed a District Court Judge in November 2007. Seconded to the Supreme Court Vanuatu 2018 to 2022. Appointed: 2022.

    Serina Bailey
    Is a Christchurch based barrister working primarily as a criminal defence lawyer and also working in the mental health field. Appointed: 2020

    Judge Louis Bidois
    Was appointed as a District Court Judge in July 2002. Judge Bidois’ tribal affiliation is to Te Arawa. Appointed: 2011.

    Judge Charles Blackie
    Was appointed a District Court Judge in 1998, and has been Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pitcairn Island since 2000. Was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) for services to the judiciary in 2017. Appointed: 2017.

    Judge Tania Williams-Blyth
    A senior family lawyer, who has appeared as counsel in both the District Court and Waitangi Tribunal. Appointed a District Court Judge in June 2023. Appointed: 2014.

    Martha Coleman
    Barrister with expertise in human rights and public law. Currently a deputy chairperson of the Human Rights Review Tribunal, and formerly a Crown Counsel with Crown Law, Martha joined the independent bar in 2014. Appointed: 2014.

    Judge Michael Crosbie
    Appointed to the District Court Bench in 2001, and served as Chairperson of the Wanganui District Prison Board from 2001 to 2003. Appointed: 2003.

    Geoffrey Ellis
    A District Court and Family Court Judge from 1991 to 2017 with special interest in mental health law and restorative justice. Appointed: 2019.

    Judge Jan Kelly
    Was appointed a District Court Judge in 2003. She has General, Jury and Youth Court warrants. Judge Kelly is of Ngāti Kahungunu and Pākehā descent. She was a partner in Simpson Grierson prior to her appointment to the bench. Appointed 2023.

    Judge Jane Lovell-Smith
    Appointed District Court Judge in 1994 and chaired the Auckland District Prison Board. Appointed: 2002

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  • Annabel Markham   Annabel was admitted to the bar in 1995 and has over 25 years’ experience, predominantly as a criminal lawyer.  Prior to this appointment she was a Senior Crown Counsel in the Crown Law Office, specialising in difficult and complex criminal appeals. Appointed: 2020

    Judge David Mather
    Was appointed a District and Family Court Judge in 1997. Appointed May: 2012.

    Mary More
    An experienced family lawyer and mediator who has represented offenders at the NZ Parole Board. Former registered nurse with experience in governance with community organisations and health advocacy. Appointed: 2016.

    Judge Stephen O'Driscoll
    Was appointed a District Court Judge in 2003. Served as President of the Otago District Law Society from 1998 to 1999. He Chaired both the Legal Services Board and Legal Services Agency before his appointment to the District Court.  Appointed 2023.

    Judge Eddie Paul
    Was sworn in as a District Court Judge at Auckland in 2008. Appointed: 2010.

    Alan Ritchie
    Is the Judicial Conduct Commissioner, and a former executive director of the Law Society. Appointed: 2008.

    Judge Anna-Marie Skellern
    Was appointed a District Court Judge in 2012. She has General, Jury and Family Court warrants. Judge Skellern is of Ngāpuhi and Pākehā descent. She was admitted to the bar in 1985. Appointed: 2023.

    Kathryn Snook
    Has wide experience both in private practice and as an in-house solicitor in the public sector. Served as the Deputy Judicial Conduct Commissioner from 2015 to 2020. Appointed: 2011.

    Judge Arthur Tompkins
    Became a District Court Judge in 1997, and is the editor of Art Crime and its Prevention: A Handbook for Collectors and Art Professionals. Appointed: 2004.

    Neville Trendle
    Is a former Assistant Police Commissioner (2000-2001) and barrister with 40 years’ experience working in and around the criminal justice system. Appointed: 2008.

Forensic psychiatrist members

Associate Professor Philip Brinded
is a Clinical Associate Professor with the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Christchurch School of Medicine, and was previously the Clinical Director of the Canterbury District Health Board forensic psychiatry service. Dr Brinded has specialised in forensic psychiatry since 1984, and in 1988 he conducted bi-cultural assessments at Auckland Prison as part of the Mason Commission of Inquiry. He has extensive experience in all aspects of civil and criminal forensic psychiatry, expert witness evidence, risk assessment, inpatient and prison based psychiatric practice. Appointed: 2004.

Dr Jeremy Skipworth
is a forensic psychiatrist, who also works at the Mason Clinic in Auckland where he was Clinical Director from 2010-2019. He has clinical experience in both acute and rehabilitation forensic settings, as well as in prisons, the community, and was Deputy Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health from 2003-2007. Dr Skipworth has lectured on medico-legal report writing, giving expert evidence, and applying the law to mental health issues. He has published in international journals relating to his particular areas of interest, which include risk assessment, rehabilitation, and mental health legislation reform. Appointed: 2008.

Community members

  • Karen Coutts
    Karen is on the board of Ngāi Tahu’s governing body, and is a board member with Transparency International NZ. She has over 15 years’ governance experience across NGO’s, Capital and Coast District Health Board, and several Māori trusts. Appointed: 2019

    Greg Coyle
    Currently Principal Advisor for the Salvation Army and has previously worked for the Tertiary Education Commission. His PhD is in the area of public policy. Appointed: 2017

    Materoa Dodd
    Materoa has served in leadership, academic, and governance positions in education, iwi, community and Māori women’s development for over 30 years. She is a former social sciences commissioner with UNESCO. Appointed: 2019

    Dr Sally Davis
    Doctor of Clinical Psychology, practitioner and consultant with experience in mental health issues and a range of offending behaviours. Appointed: 2015

    Paul Elenio
    More than 38 years experience in the newspaper industry, including as a reporter, editor, advertising and circulation manager and general manager. Appointed: 2014

    Alan Hackney
    A registered clinical psychologist with 30 years of practice across a number of settings including the justice sector, health, private practice and not for profit Christian organisations. Appointed 2016

    Dr Julia Ioane
    Julia is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in psychology at Massey University. She has extensive experience working with Pasifika and Māori children and families involved in care and protection and youth justice matters in community and residential placements. Appointed 2022

    Chris King
    Is a clinical psychologist who has a background in New Zealand public prison management and prisoner rehabilitation.  From 2008 to 2014 he helped to establish the Vanuatu Corrections Service and Parole Board. Appointed: 2017

    Marian Kleist
    Marian brings more than 40 years’ experience of working in the social service sector in New Zealand and the UK. She has held senior roles working with asylum seekers and refugees, families with a relative experiencing major mental health issues, people who have been sexually abused, and victims of crime.

    Richard Marchant
    A highly experienced barrister, with particular expertise in criminal jury trials, disciplinary proceedings and coronial inquests. Richard was formally a partner at the Crown Solicitor's office in Auckland for 20 years. He was a Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission from 2016 to 2019. Appointed 2022.

    Bryan McMurray
    Bryan has 40 years experience working with offenders in the criminal justice field, has managed prisons and held senior leadership and project manager roles in the Prison Service. Appointed: 2008

  • Sam Perry
    A partner in law firms for 35 years and current consultant at Brandons. Governance experience in the community sector, including with the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Trust from 2010 to 2014. Appointed: 2015

    Fiona Pimm
    Fiona affiliates to Ngāi Tahu iwi with whakapapa links across the Ngāi Tahu rohe, though she identifies Arowhenua as her whanau home. She is an executive leader with extensive experience in governance roles in the health sector, government agencies, community NGO, local iwi and runanga. Appointed: 2015

    Campbell Roberts
    Campbell is the founding director of the Salvation Army social policy and parliamentary unit. He has held a range of governance roles with the New Zealand Housing Foundation, Robson Hanan Trust, Community Housing Aotearoa, and Habitat for Humanity. Campbell has held several ministerial appointments and was a member of the Children's Commissioner's expert advisory group on child poverty. Appointed: 2019

    Judge Tania Sharkey
    Tania has been in practice as a Barrister Sole since 2015 and currently Senior Counsel Assisting in the Royal Commission of Inquiry: Abuse in Care.  She is the President of the Pacific Lawyers Association and is a current member of the New Zealand Law Society Legal Services Committee. Appointed a District Court Judge in June 2023. Appointed 2020.

    Alistair Spierling
    Alistair was the Board’s founding manager and spent two decades in the role before being appointed a member himself. He is a public servant with 49 years’ service across courts, social development, and corrections. Appointed: 2019

    Waimarama Taumaunu
    Wai is a former captain and coach of the Silver Ferns. She is also a former secondary school teacher, with public service employment and governance experience in New Zealand and the UK. Appointed: 2016

    Carolina Tiumalu
    Carolina is currently a legal assistance panel lawyer for the Royal Commission of Inquiry: Abuse in Care.  Her legal career has included 18 months as a Deputy Registrar/Court Office at the Family Court in Manukau and 13 years as a lawyer in South Auckland.  Appointed 2020

    Lawrence Tawera
    Former probation officer with national management experience over 23 years. Lawrence recently served as chairman of a large scale iwi-based Ahuwhenua (Farming) Trust located in the Central North Island, and has a commitment to iwi economic and community sustainability. Appointed: 2015