Former judge of Indian origin Anand Satyanand, who was recently named as the successor to New Zealand Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, is a man of impeccable credentials. When he takes Dame Cartwright's place on August 4, he will become the 35th representative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II of the southern hemisphere island nation, where only Indians comprise only two percent of the population of four million.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark welcomed his appointment, saying, "Judge Satyanand will bring many personal strengths to the role of Governor-General, including a broad knowledge of the workings of government and law, as well as a deep appreciation of the different groups and communities which make up contemporary New Zealand."

Satyanand was born in Auckland on July 22, 1944, and raised in New Zealand. His grandparents had migrated from India to Fiji at the turn
of the 20th century, while his parents took up residence in New Zealand from Fiji, following completion of their education.

He attended Auckland schools, namely, Richmond Road Primary in Ponsonby, and Sacred Heart College in Glen Innes. After graduating with a law degree from the University of Auckland in 1970, he spent the next 12 years in practice in Auckland,Palmerston North, Waitakere, Otahuhu which included employment with the Crown Solicitors’ Office, and subsequently in partnership with Shieff Angland Solicitors.

He became a district court judge in 1982, holding warrants for both criminal and civil jurisdictions. His main specialist work was in the
criminal law area as a trial judge for 10 years.

In 1995 Judge Satyanand was appointed as an ombudsman, completing two five-year terms in February 2005. In this role, he dealt with complaints about unfairness on the part of government officials, assessed governance processes, and worked in the freedom of information area. As an ombudsman, he was based in Wellington, but with responsibility for work emanating from the Auckland office, he also
covered the country north of Lake Taupo.

Throughout his career, Judge Satyanand has significantly contributed to professional legal education in New Zealand and internationally. A
teacher and mentor to many individuals and institutions, he has written and published considerably in specialist areas. He has also been a regular contributor to a Commonwealth Secretariat-funded ombudsman training programme each year since 1998.

Judge Satyanand has been frequently called on as a presenter, moderator, and facilitator at a wide range of seminars, professional education courses and debates. Ever since the completion of his term as an ombudsman, Judge Satyanand’s experience and expertise
have been called on in a number of areas. He recently reviewed the New Zealand Banking Ombudsman Scheme.

He takes a keen interest in international affairs and New Zealand’s place in the world, and has been a Board member of Asia New Zealand
Foundation since 2000. Currently, he is a member of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs and Transparency International.

A man of varied interests, Judge Satyanand has also been a long time contributor to community events, both cultural and sporting. Prior
to his appointment as a judge, he spent a number of years in sports administration with New Zealand Rugby League, and some time as a member of the Freemans Bay Community Committee. While working as a
judge, he had two principal areas of community contact: as a prison board chairman and as a member of the national parole board.

In the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2005, Judge Satyanand was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM).

Satyanand's own take on the issue can be summed in the following quote to the media when he said his decision to take the post "was a matter of duty, the opportunity to play a
different role in government".

He and his wife Susan were married in 1970, and they have three adult
children.