Attorney-General David Parker announced today that five lay members of the High Court had been appointed under the Commerce Act of 1986.
Lay members assist the Court in cases involving appeals from Commerce Commission rulings and other matters under the Commerce Act, and they play an important role in ensuring that expert evidence on complicated competition or regulatory problems is properly understood, examined, and reviewed by the Court.
These are the five lay members:
Pat Duignan.
In April 2016, Mr. Duignan—a financial and economics advisor—was appointed to serve as a lay member in the High Court for cases involving regulations. He formerly held the positions of expert member of the Accident Compensation Corporation Board Investment Committee from 2003 to 2021 and Commissioner of the New Zealand Commerce Commission from 2010 to 2015. He serves as a director of the corporate finance and treasury risk management advisory business, Munro Duignan Ltd.
Stephen King.
In terms of economics, Professor King has a great deal of knowledge and experience, with a focus on applied microeconomic theory, business organisation, market competitiveness, and regulation. He is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Monash University in Melbourne and a Commissioner of the Australian Productivity Commission.
Tony van Zijl.
Financial reporting, audit, capital markets, cost of capital, valuation, and performance measurement and reporting are areas of specialisation for Professor van Zijl. He has offered expert testimony and litigation support in arbitrations, Commerce Commission hearings, and High Court cases. He is a Professor of Accounting and Financial Management and the Director of the Centre for Accounting, Governance, and Taxation Research at Victoria University of Wellington’s Wellington School of Business and Government.
Jill Walker.
Dr. Walker has a wealth of expertise in Australian and New Zealand competition law and economics. She was most recently appointed to the Australian Competition Tribunal in March 2020. She has served as a member of the competition regulators on both sides of the Tasman as well as a consultant on matters of regulation and competition. She has also testified as an expert witness in Australian cases involving competition law.
Lilla Csorgo.
Having held top economist roles in the public and commercial sectors in New Zealand and overseas, Dr. Csorgo has more than 25 years of expertise in competitive economics, policy, and regulation. Her previous positions include Chief Economist, Competition Branch, New Zealand Commerce Commission, Chief Economist, Lay Member of the Canadian Competition Tribunal, and Head of Economics, Hong Kong Competition Commission. She works with Charles River Associates as a senior consultant.