Leading criminal lawyer Nigel Hampton KC has resigned from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) amid claims that new appointments compromise the ability of the Commission to do its work properly.
Nigel Hampton is one of New Zealand’s most prominent criminal lawyers and listed in LawFuel’s forthcoming 2024 Power List of the country’s most powerful lawyers.
One of the first-appointed to the CCRC, he resigned from after being advised by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith that the terms for Commission Chair Colin Carruthers KC (pictured below) and Virginia Hope would not have their contracts renewed at the end of the year.
Both commissioners were willing to remain in the role at the Commission.
The Chief Commissioner’s role is going to retired High Court and Court of Appeal Judge Dennis Clifford.
Also appointed by Paul Goldsmith were Suzanne Robertson KC, and Emma Finlayson-Davis.
Professor Tracy McIntosh was reappointed.
Hampton resigned with immediate effect, saying that the removal of Carruthers, Hampton and Hope removed the Commission of anyone with serious background in criminal defence work and involvement in cases involving miscarriages of justice, which both he and Carruthers had been involved in prior to the Commission’s setup.
He was reported in The Post saying that there were other lawyers with real criminal experience who could have filled the roles. “..I find it strange that the commission is going to be left somewhat exposed from the lack of expertise and the essential work of the CCRC will be undermined as a consequence,” he said.
Nigel Hampton handled cases including handling a wide variety of serious criminal cases and also handling claims from families of victims of Pike River coal mine disaster, the collapse of the Christchurch CTV building during the 2011 earthquake, the Pike River coal mine disaster victims’ families, the enquiry into the Whakaari/White Island eruption and families involved in the Christchurch mosque shooting.
Hampton’s 55-year career has seen him chair the New Zealand Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, become the first Disciplinary Commissioner of Counsel at the International Criminal Court in 2007, and serve as Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga.
