8 Our  Law  Commission  Act  specifically  provides  that  in  making  recommendations  the Commission  shall  take  into  account  te  ao  Maori  (the  Maori  dimension)  and  shall  also give consideration to the multi- cultural character of New Zealand society³⁶.  When there was  a  review  of  the  Law  Commission  undertaken  in  2000  by  Sir  Geoffrey  Palmer³⁷, consideration   was   given   as   to   whether   there   should   be   a   separate    Maori   Law Commission.  This was not recommended but the importance of this statutory obligation to Maori was reiterated. From our inception there has been a keen awareness of the need to have regard to this dimension in all its work (and there have been a number of Commissioners who were of Maori  descent) a nd  there  has  also  been  a  Maori  Committee  (which  includes  many eminent Maori leaders) that is available to advise and consult with the Commission in the course of our work. Currently we have two members of Maori descent³⁸ and a number of our research staff are similarly within that categorisation. During  the  1990’s  in  Australia,  there  were  4  part-time  Commissioners  who  were  not legally qualified³⁹.  In many jurisdictions it is commonplace to have consultants who are not members of the legal profession. The  make-up  of  the  Commission,  the  qualities,  the  skills  and  the  experience  which Commissioners have will inevitably have a significant effect on the nature and type of                                                  36   Law Commission Act 1985, s5(2)(a) 37   Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Evaluation of the Law Commission : Report for the Associate Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Hon. Margaret Wilson (Chen & Palmer, Wellington, 2000) 38   Professor Ngatata Love and Justice Eddie Durie 39   Professor   Peter   Baume,   Professor  of  Community  Medicine,  University  of  New  South  Wales,   Professor Bettina Cass, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney; Dott Paolo Totaro, Chairman of Ethnic Affairs Commission, NSW; Mr Leigh Hall, General Manager, Investment Operations, with the Australian Mutual Provident Society Ltd  (from  Annual Reports ALRC 1990- 2000)