The Inspector-General has today announced the establishment of a Reference Group. The Group brings together a broad range of individuals and groups, all of whom have specific expertise and experience that in one way or another touches on the work of the Inspector-General's office. The first meeting of the Reference Group was held last week in Wellington.
The Inspector-General scrutinises whether New Zealand's intelligence and security agencies (the NZSIS and the GCSB) act lawfully and also whether reasonable New Zealanders would think their conduct was "right" (ie "proper").
"The Inspector-General stands in the shoes of the public: we try to ask what the public would ask" said the Inspector-General, Cheryl Gwyn.
"The Group brings together people from outside government and the intelligence community who can keep us in touch with legal, social and security developments in NZ and overseas, inform our thinking about our work programme, and provide feedback on how we are performing our oversight role."
"My Office is relatively small, and the great breadth and diversity of experience among the members of the Reference Group will help us better ensure New Zealand's intellligence and security agencies act lawfully and properly."
The members of the Inspector-General's Reference Group are:
Ben Creet - Issues Manager, Internet NZ
Professor Rouben Azizian - Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University
Dr Nicole Moreham - Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Paul Buchanan - Director, 36th Parallel Assessments
David Fisher - Journalist, New Zealand Herald
John Ip - Senior Lecturer, Assistant Dean (Academic), Faculty of Law, University of Auckland
Nicky Hager - Journalist, Author
Thomas Beagle - Chairperson, NZ Council for Civil Liberties
Treasa Dunworth - Associate Professor, Public International Law, University of Auckland
Suzanne Snively - Chair, Transparency International
Deborah Manning - Barrister