Eight new Community Magistrates have been appointed for the Auckland region, Justice Minister Simon Power and Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu announced today. 

Mr Power said the Magistrates would help to reduce court waiting times. 

"The appointment of Community Magistrates increases the judicial resource available to the courts and ensures that the expertise of District Court judges is reserved for those cases that need it," Mr Power said.

Community Magistrates are judicial officers in the summary jurisdiction and are selected from the wider community that the District Court serves.

Mrs te Heuheu said the Ministry of Justice received considerable interest when the Community Magistrate recruitment process began earlier this year. 

"The successful applicants have been through a rigorous selection process and I am confident they will provide a first-class judicial service," Mrs te Heuheu said.

The scheme was piloted and approved for permanent implementation in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region in 2008.  The latest appointments follow the approval by Cabinet in April 2009 to extend the use of Community Magistrates to the Auckland region.  

The appointments are:

• Una Rebecca Ewert, of Newmarket


• Philip Greenbank, of Papatoetoe


• Dianne Hale, of Devonport


• Janet Holmes, of Devonport


• Lauolefale Lemalu, of Manukau


• Lavinia Nathan, of Whangaparaoa


• Joanna Sihamu, of Remuera


• Fenella Thomas, of Laingholm