Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Yesterday, I announced that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) Te Kāhui Tātari Ture has started work and can now independently investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. The CCRC is an independent body that will review criminal convictions and sentences where there is a claimed miscarriage of justice. It can refer cases back to the Court of Appeal, but it does not determine guilt or innocence. The CCRC will replace the referral power currently exercised by the Governor-General under section 406 of the Crimes Act 1961, which is part of the royal prerogative of mercy process. The CCRC is headed by the Chief Commissioner, Colin Carruthers QC, and he leads a board made up of Deputy Chief Commissioner Paula Rose as well as Kingi Snelgar, Tangi Utikere, Nigel Hampton QC, Professor Tracey McIntosh, and Dr Virginia Hope. The commission is based in Hamilton in order to demonstrate its independence from the traditional Government and judicial centres of Auckland and Wellington. 