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Hearings will break during the day. A break is scheduled for lunch at 1.00 to 2.15 and there will be other breaks in the morning and afternoon, but the precise break times are subject to change.
In this second phase of the State Redress hearing, Witnesses for the Crown will give evidence.
The public hearings will take place at Level 2, 414 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, Auckland 1023 (entrance via Kingdon Street).
The hearing will also be livestreamed on our website.
Please note: Video and transcript testimony from individual witnesses might not be published immediately as evidence needs to be verified prior to publication.
The State-based Redress hearing will be conducted according to Government COVID-19 decisions. This situation will require the Royal Commission to abide by government mandated Covid-19 requirements in place at the time, and will ensure the safety of staff and attendees through specific protocols. This could have an impact on how the hearing is conducted.
Read more about how health and safety measures may affect the Hearings here.
Please note: Video and transcript testimony from individual witnesses might not be published immediately as evidence needs to be verified prior to publication.
19 October 2020
10.30am (approx)
Philip Knipe – Ministry of Health
Philip Knipe, Chief Legal Advisor, will give evidence on behalf of the Ministry of Health (MOH). His evidence will include how MOH received, processed, managed and conducted its strategies in relation to civil claims up to 1993. As legal liability for claims after 1993 became the responsibility of each individual District Health Board, his evidence does not address the processes for managing those claims, although he will address MOH’s current day practice.
Simon MacPherson – Ministry of Social Development
Simon MacPherson is one of three witnesses giving evidence on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). He is currently Deputy Chief Executive for the Policy branch and a member of MSD’s Senior Leadership Team. He is also a member of the Official’s Social Wellbeing Committee that supports the Chair of the Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee. His evidence will include information about claimants and their claims, the early development of the Historic Claims Team and its processes under the Crown Strategy, litigation of claims, how the system has changed, and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In addition he will outline expenditure on historic claims.
Garth Young – Ministry of Social Development
Garth Young has been employed by MSD or its predecessors since 1984 and has held a number of roles. He is currently Lead Claims Advisor with the Historic Claims Team. He evidence will include the composition and functions of various historic claims working groups, the processes for collecting information on confirmed and alleged perpetrators, outcomes of Police referrals, High Tariff Offenders, wellness payments, roles and responsibilities between the Crown Law Office and MSD and evidence about specific claims, including that of Mr Keith Wiffin and Earl White.
Linda Hrstich-Meyer – Ministry of Social Development
Linda Hrstich-Meyer is currently General Manager of Historic Claims at MSD, and has held a variety of roles within MSD for over 20 years. Her evidence will include the development and implementation of MSD’s claims assessment processes from 2007 onwards, as well as a range of other issues relating to access to personal information and records, revisiting claims, claimant support services and evidence about survivor evidence, including that of Mr Keith Wiffin, Georgine and Tanya Sammons, ‘CD’ (anonymised name), Kerry Johnson (anonymised name) and Patrick Stevens (anonymised name).
Steven Groom – Oranga Tamariki
Steven Groom is General Manager of Public Ministerial and Executive Services at Oranga Tamariki. His evidence includes the origin and establishment of Oranga Tamariki, decisions relating to responsibility for addressing claims of abuse in care, processes currently adopted by Oranga Tamariki, and processes under development to address such claims.
Helen Hurst – Ministry of Education
Helen Hurst is Associate Deputy Secretary, Operational Delivery in the Ministry of Education’s Sector Enablement and Support group (MOE). Her evidence provides background information about the education landscape between 1950 to the present, and MOE’s processes for receiving and resolving claims of abuse, both historic and current. She also addresses the process by which MOE resolves joint claims (e.g. with MSD).
Brett Dooley and David Howden - Ministry of Justice
Brett Dooley, Group Manager, National Service Delivery and Legal Services Commissioner at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) will provide the primary evidence, which covers general principles of legal aid and the history of legal aid for historic abuse claimants, including those claimants represented by Cooper Legal. He will also provide evidence about total legal aid funding attributed to historic abuse claimants.
Mr Howden, who previously held the role of National Specialist Adviser in the Legal Services Agency for a number of years, will be available to the Inquiry to answer questions as he has direct knowledge of the history of legal aid for historic abuse claimants outlined in Mr Dooley’s evidence.
Una Jagose QC – Crown Law Office
Una Jagose QC, who previously held roles within the Crown Law Office (CLO) since 2002 until her appointment as Solicitor-General in February 2016, will give evidence about CLO’s involvement in historic claims and the Crown’s approach to redress. This will include evidence about the Crown Litigation Strategy and conduct of civil claims in court, including the White litigation, the DSW Litigation Group, and current litigation. Ms Jagose QC also responds to matters raised in other evidence, where criticisms have been made of CLO.
Closing statements - Wendy Aldred and Frances Joychild QC
