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Strong candidates appointed to inaugural Firearms Licensing Review Committee

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed the appointment of the eight inaugural members of the Firearms Licensing Review Committee (the Review Committee), established under the Arms Act 2026. “The new Arms Act is about restoring trust and confidence in firearms regulation for both licensed firearms owners and the wider public,” says Mrs McKee. “A critical part of that is ensuring licensing decisions made by the regulator can be independently scrutinised. Under the previous law, decisions could only be reviewed internally by the same organisation that made the original decision. “I am very pleased with the calibre of the eight inaugural members, chaired by Hamilton-based District Court Judge Robert Spear. Every member brings firearms experience, alongside a strong range of legal, regulatory, public safety, clinical, and community expertise. “Licenced firearms owners should be able to expect fair, consistent, and well-reasoned decisions from the regulatory system. Where they believe a licensing decision is wrong, they should also have access to meaningful independent review without being forced immediately into costly and time-consuming court proceedings. “The Review Committee provides that important check on regulatory power. It will be able to independently examine decisions to refuse a licence, impose conditions, or revoke a licence, while preserving the right of further appeal to the District Court. “This is particularly important where a licensing decision involves judgments about a person’s conduct, behaviour, or whether they may present a safety risk. Those judgments need to be based on relevant evidence, applied fairly and consistently, and capable of standing up to independent scrutiny. “The Review Committee has been deliberately appointed with a breadth of experience that means it understands both the responsibilities that come with firearms ownership and the practical realities of New Zealand’s firearms community.” The eight inaugural members have been appointed by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith for initial terms of 18 months from 31 August 2026. They are Judge Robert Spear (Chair), Louise Christensen, Gordon Davis, Joe Green, Mike Keefe QSM, Melissa Jackson, Digby Livingston, and Tracey Wakeford. Note to editors: Biographies for the inaugural Review Committee members can be found below. Judge Robert Spear (Chair) is a Hamilton-based District Court Judge, appointed in 1995, and currently the Chair of both the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority and the Victims’ Special Claims Tribunal. Judge Spear will retire his judicial warrant in October 2026. Judge Spear has previously held a firearms licence and participated in recreational hunting. Louise Christensen lives in Ashburton and is an active hunter and sporting clay shooter. She has previously worked for Maritime New Zealand in a licensing role, and the Accident Compensation Corporation as a branch and quality manager. Gordon Davis is a Wellington-based lawyer with extensive legal experience through private practice (civil and criminal work) and in government as chief legal counsel for the (then) State Services Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority. Mr Davis is a former firearms licence holder having held, until recently, a licence for more than 50 years. Joe Green lives on the Kapiti Coast. From 2016 till 2026 he represented the Firearms Safety Council on the Firearms Community Advisory Forum. He also has significant Police experience and has been closely involved in Police vetting, and various roles with search and rescue and emergency management. He has had long-time involvement in the firearms community though his Police work, and with the Firearms Safety Council. He was involved in the United Nations development of International Standards for Arms Control and involved with the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, including research into incidents when one hunter shot and killed another. He has been involved with the Whakatūpato programme. Mike Keefe QSM is a Rotorua-based District Licensing Committee member, a Judicial Justice of the Peace and a member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal. He has significant firearms experience as a former Police officer and District Arms Officer. He is a firearms licence holder and keen hunter. He was instrumental alongside John Ransfield QSM in starting the Whakatūpato Programme where firearms training was introduced into a marae setting improving safety and firearms compliance. Digby Livingston is a Wellington-based lawyer and director and a member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal. He was one of the inaugural Borrin Foundation Community Law Fellows and is a licenced firearms owner. Melissa Jackson is a Taumarunui-based legally trained local government manager and firearms safety leader. She is a former secretary of the Central King Country branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association and is a hunting instructor for a local community trust that focuses on ethical hunting and te ao Māori practices. Tracy Wakeford is a Northland-based clinical psychologist. She also has a strong background working in firearms safety and experience with firearms (particularly the Whakatūpato programme and work with Mountain Safety Council).