Former lawyer Pauline Kingi has been appointed the single member of the Government Inquiry into the Appointment Process for a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The Inquiry will commence on 6 August 2018. It will be an independent inquiry administered by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Its purpose is to examine, identify, and report on the adequacy of the process that led to the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner of Police. It will not look into the suitability of the appointee for the role of Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Dr Kingi has a 28-year career in public service as both a community leader and senior public servant. She is a past Councillor in the Council for New Zealand Healthcare Standards, Chair of the Auckland University of Technology, and Auckland Regional Director for Te Puni Kōkiri.

She was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1980 and later received an LLM from Harvard University.

Dr Kingi received a Suffrage Honour for services to women in 1994, the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to New Zealand in 1999, and the inaugural Manawahine Award from the Māori Women’s Welfare League in 2000.