Sir Anand Satyanand has resigned as Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-Based Institutions, effective from November 2019.

Sir Anand was appointed Chair of the Inquiry following its establishment by the Government in February 2018.

He says the scale of the work in front of the inquiry has increased markedly.

“When the Terms of Reference were announced by the Government in November 2018, the scope of the Inquiry was widened to include faith-based institutions and the scale of the work increased markedly," he says in a statement.

“Because of that and the fact that the ‘set-up’ and development phase of the Inquiry is nearly complete, I have opted to step aside for a new Chair who can lead the Inquiry through to the completion of this important process.

“It has been both heartening and heart-breaking for the Commissioners and I to hear from survivors first-hand about their experiences of abuse. Sharing your experience takes courage and determination and I have admiration and respect for the survivors we’ve heard from for their bravery."

A statement by Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin says a new Chair is expected to be appointed by November 2019.

Waikato University Chancellor

A statement from the University of Waikato says its Council has  elected Sir Anand as the next University Chancellor, effective immediately. The appointment is for a four-year term.

The statement quotes Sir Anand as saying that his appointment provides an exciting new challenge of working at the governance level within a University.

“The University of Waikato has strong community linkages. This role provides a new challenge of working with a talented Council of a University in the middle of expansion and development,” says Sir Anand.

Sir Anand was born in Auckland in 1944 and graduated with an LLB from the University of Auckland in 1970. He practised law in Auckland until he was appointed a District Court Judge in 1982. In 1995 he was appointed an Ombudsman and served two five-year terms. He was appointed Governor-General in 2006, becoming the first Governor-General of Indian descent and the first Roman Catholic Governor-General. He completed his term on 23 August 2011.

Sir Anand Satyanand.