About the Tribunal
Overview of the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
The Human Rights Review Tribunal was established in 1977 under the Human Rights Commission Act, as the Equal Opportunities Tribunal. It became the Complaints Review Tribunal in 1993 and the Human Rights Review Tribunal in 2002.
The Tribunal comprises a chairperson and a panel of up to 20 members, appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. Deputy chairpersons are sometimes appointed to deal with particular cases.
Cases are usually heard where the events giving rise to them have taken place, with a chairperson and two panel members hearing each case.
The Tribunal panel
Panel members are appointed for their knowledge or experience of matters likely to come before the Tribunal, such as:
- human rights law (domestic and/or international)
- public administration
- economic, employment or social issues
- cultural issues and the needs, aspirations and experiences of different communities in New Zealand.
There are presently 11 Tribunal members aside from the Chairperson, including four who are either practising lawyers or who have legal qualifications. Find out more about the members of the Tribunal
Powers of the Tribunal
Every case that comes to the Human Rights Review Tribunal is different, as are the remedies or actions the Tribunal can order. Find out more about the powers of the Tribunal.
