State Redress hearing media alert: Crown witnesses week 2
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry State Redress hearing resumes today in Auckland with the Crown’s response.
Witnesses for the Crown will describe the policy and operation of redress processes that have been and currently are available, as well as responding to evidence given by survivors, their lawyers and advocates at the first Redress public hearing.
This week’s Crown witnesses include representatives from the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Justice. Commissioners will also hear from the Solicitor-General.
The hearing is being live-streamed here.
Hearing location: Level 2, 414 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, Auckland 1023.
27 October 2020
10:00am
Linda Hrstich-Meyer – Ministry of Social Development (continued)
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).
11.45am
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.
28 October 2020
10:00am
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).
29 October 2020
10:00am
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.
30 October 2020
10:00am
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. ________________________________________________________________________________
Media enquiries: 027 298 2094; media@abuseincare.org.nz