Authority Chair

Justice Lowell Goddard

The Authority is Chaired by Justice Lowell Goddard, a Judge of the High Court.

Justice Goddard was appointed as the Police Complaints Authority in February 2007 for a five-year term. When the Independent Police Conduct Authority was established in November 2007, she retained her appointment and became Authority Chair.

During her time as head of the Authority she has overseen significant change, as the Authority transforms itself from a reviewing agency to one that has a significant focus on genuinely independent investigation of serious complaints against the Police.

Justice Goddard has been a Judge of the High Court since December 1995. She has also sat as a member of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. As Chair of the Authority she retains her judicial status.

Justice Goddard graduated with a law degree from the University of Auckland in 1974 and was admitted to the Bar in 1975. In 1977 she commenced practice as a barrister. In 1988, she was appointed Queen’s Counsel.

In 1992, she was appointed Deputy Solicitor-General for New Zealand and in that role supervised the prosecution of indictable crime and criminal appeals to the Court of Appeal and Privy Council.

As a lawyer, Justice Goddard defended and prosecuted in a number of homicide and other serious criminal trials, and acted as counsel assisting tribunals and Commissions of Inquiry.