New Judicial Appointments
3 New High Court Judges
The Chief Justice has announced the appointment of three acting judges to the High Court. Justice Christine Gordon will serve in this role from 22 February 2023 until 31 December 2024, while Justices Paul Davison and David Gendall will serve from 2 February 2023 until 31 August 2023 and 1 February 2023 until 31 August 2023, respectively. These appointments were made by the Governor-General on the advice of the Attorney-General in order to address the increased workload caused by COVID-19 disruptions.
7 New District Court Judges
The Attorney-General, David Parker, has announced the appointment of seven new District Court judges. These individuals will take up their roles in January and February 2023, replacing judges who have recently retired. The newly appointed judges are Debra Anne Bell, Kathryn (Kate) Gail Davenport, Simon John Lance, Justin Marijan Marinovich, Melinda Mere Mason, Campbell David Savage, and Anna Joan Tutton. All of these individuals have legal experience in various fields, including criminal law, civil and commercial litigation, and mediation. They will be based in various locations around the country, including Auckland, Whanganui, Tauranga, Timaru, and Wellington. These appointments are being made in order to ensure that the District Court has the necessary staffing to carry out its duties effectively.