Two Environment Court Judges appointed

Christchurch lawyer Lauren Semple and Auckland barrister Sheena Tepania have been appointed as Judges of the Environment Court and District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today.

Lauren Semple has been a partner at Greenwood Roche since 2013.  She has worked as a specialised resource management practitioner acting on several large-scale developments and on hydro-electricity and irrigation projects and has acted for the Crown on large-scale development projects. Since 2011 she has specialised in developing alternate consenting pathways.

Upon taking up her warrant Judge Semple will be based in Wellington.

Sheena Tepania (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) has been in practice as a barrister sole since 2018 having previously been with Tamatekapua Law in Auckland for more than a decade. 

She has been an Independent Hearings Commissioner since 2011 and was appointed by the Minister of Local Government as a Development Contributions Commissioner in 2020 and as an independent Commissioner to work with the Tūhua (Mayor Island) Trust Board helping to oversee resource consent applications.

Upon taking up her warrant Judge Tepania will be based in Auckland.