The Honourable Sir Ian Barker, Q.C was appointed in October 2007 for five years.

He retired as a Senior Judge of the High Court of New Zealand in May 1997 after 21 years of service on the Bench, including 11 years as Judge-in-Charge of the Commercial List. He is a past President of the New Zealand Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute, member of arbitration panels in several Pacific Rim arbitration centres, has chaired several arbitral tribunals for the International Chamber of Commerce's Court of Arbitration in Paris, and serves on several Pacific Courts of Appeal. He is also a New Zealand Government nominee to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes' Panel of Arbitrators.