Wairarapa woman Kristy McDonald QC has been appointed chairwoman of the Judicial Control Authority, New Zealand Racing Board chairman Michael Stiassny announced yesterday.
Ms McDonald, who is holidaying in Mexico, is a Queens Counsel with a Wellington practice and has extensive experience as a litigation lawyer.
The Judicial Control Authority, an independent
statutory authority, was established in 1996 and is the legal body that administers the rules of racing and conducts inquiries into breaches of the rules, across the two equine racing codes Harness Racing New Zealand and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.
Under the Racing Act 2003, Greyhound Racing New Zealand can also join the Judicial Control Authority and plans for that to happen are progressing.
"I'm looking forward to taking on this new challenge. It's important that consumer's confidence in the integrity of the New Zealand racing industry is maintained and enhanced," Ms McDonald said.
Ms McDonald replaces Gerard Brown, who has been acting chairman for the past 12 months after John Grant's term expired in July last year.
Mr Brown has been responsible for leading a review of the Judicial Control Authority's business in advance of appointing a new permanent chairperson.
Ms McDonald will commence her new role in early November.
New Zealand Racing Board Chairman Michael Stiassny said the appointment panel was pleased at the excellent response received to the advertising of the position, "in both number and quality of applicants".
"Ms McDonald is eminently qualified to take on this new role. She has extensive experience as a barrister practising across a wide range of areas including civil, criminal and administrative law and has been extensively involved as a prosecutor and legal adviser to a number of professional bodies over many years," Mr Stiassny said. Ms McDonald is a former chairwoman of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and the New Zealand Law Society ethics committee and regularly sits on the Police Disciplinary Tribunal.
She has also been involved in several high-profile cases over the years, including acting as police counsel in the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct, Mr Stiassny said.
Ms McDonald gained her Bachelor of Laws and Arts degree from Otago University in 1980 and her Master of Law with Honours from Canterbury University in 1987.
She was appointed as a Queens Counsel in 1999 and has appeared in front of the Privy Council on two occasions in 1993 and 2003.
For more information about the Judicial Control Authority visit www.jca.org.nz.
