Coral Shaw

Dame Coral May Shaw (née Dodds; born 1947) is a New Zealand retired judge. Shaw chaired the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. In the 2026 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Early life and education Shaw was born in 1947, She grew up in Lyttelton, where her parents owned a drapery. She was educated at Lyttelton Main School, where she was dux in 1959, and Christchurch Girls' High School, and then spent a year volunteering in the Solomon Islands, before going to university. She was the first in her family to get a university degree, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury in 1969, and then trained and worked as a teacher. She also introduced restorative justice processes, working with Hoani Waititi Marae.

Honours and awards In the 2026 New Year Honours, Shaw was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, "for services to public service, the judiciary and the community".