He steps into the role on 1 August and will hold it for five years
Former High Court judge Paul Davison KC KSO has been named independent redress officer.
He steps into the role on 1 August for a five-year term. As independent redress officer, he will look into financial redress applications from survivors of abuse in state care who are also serious offenders; moreover, he will examine exemption applications from survivors with advanced terminal illnesses that have a prognosis of under six months.
The role debuted under the Redress System for Abuse in Care Act 2026, which passed its third reading in parliament last month and extends the state redress scheme to cover claims of abuse in state mental health facilities from 1 July 1993 to 30 June 2022. The Act stipulated that the independent redress officer must be a retired judge, KC or a senior lawyer with experience and skills relevant to the role.
Davison has tackled civil, criminal, regulatory, family, trust, and professional disciplinary matters. He has served as counsel before the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Air New Zealand DC-10 accident at Mt Erebus in Antarctica and was counsel assisting the Commission of Inquiry into Oakley Hospital.
He developed a framework to determine redress for 37 survivors of torture at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit while acting as independent arbiter of the individualised pathway for these survivors.
Lead coordination minister Erica Stanford said in a media release that Davison’s new position would require similar attributes. She added that it “provides an important independent mechanism for considering redress for survivors who are also serious offenders”.
The Redress System for Abuse in Care Act 2026 is the among the government's initiatives to bolster the redress system in response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, Stanford said. Its goal is to recognise people’s experiences of abuse in care and provide redress through an alternative pathway to litigation.
The remainder of the bill will be effected the day after it receives Royal Assent. An interim process has been set for survivors making new claims. Terminally ill survivors who will not live to see the law’s enforcement may apply for a ministerial exemption from the serious offender process.
