They will assist the court in addressing appeals from Commerce Commission decisions
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of six new lay members to the High Court under the Commerce Act 1986.
These experts will assist the court in addressing appeals from Commerce Commission decisions and other matters under the act.
The appointees include professor Martin Richardson, an emeritus professor of economics at the Australian National University, with a research focus on international trade and applied microeconomics. Richardson previously served as a lay member of the High Court from 2001 to 2022 and brings a wealth of academic and practical experience.
Dr. Darryn Abraham, a retired economist specialising in public utility pricing and regulatory economics, is also among the appointees. Abraham is the former director of Acacia CRE Pty Ltd, which he founded in 2005. He has previously served as a lay member of both the New Zealand High Court and the Australian Competition Tribunal.
Dr. Richard Meade, the principal economist at Cognitus Advisory Services Ltd and a senior research fellow at Auckland University of Technology, brings nearly two decades of expertise in competition and industrial organization. His background includes an earlier career in investment banking and extensive experience as an expert witness in legal proceedings.
Philip Barry, co-founder of TDB Advisory Ltd, adds significant experience in economic and financial advisory roles in the public and private sectors. He has served on the International Monetary Fund’s panel of Fiscal Experts and provided expert testimony in the High Court and Environment Court.
Edward Willett is a consultant specialising in competition policy and regulation, with a focus on industries such as energy, telecommunications, and transport. Willett has previously served as a commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and currently works as an associate commissioner at Papua New Guinea’s Independent Consumer and Competition Commission.
Finally, Hendrik Berkman, a professor of finance at the University of Auckland, joins the group with extensive expertise in market microstructure, corporate governance, and asset pricing. Berkman also serves on the board of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation.
Lay members are expected to help the court interpret, test, and assess expert evidence, ensuring that decisions in competition law and regulation are well-informed and comprehensive.
