Environment Court Judge appointed

Wellington lawyer John Hassan has been appointed an Environment Judge and District Court Judge to serve in Christchurch, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Mr Hassan is a partner in Chapman Tripp specialising in resource management and environmental law. He was previously in-house solicitor for the Ministry of Works and Development (1985-88) and the Ministry for the Environment (1988-91), where he was principal legal adviser during the development of the Resource Management Act (RMA). In 2009 he was appointed as a panel member by the Local Government and Environment Select Committee to audit and advise on the drafting of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2009 and he was a reference group member advising the Environment Minister on RMA reform proposals in 2011.

As well as law reform, he has represented government agencies, industry, local government and community groups before Councils, the Environment Court, Boards of Inquiry and the High Court in relation to major infrastructure works, plan changes and consent and appeal hearings. He is the founding co-author of Brookers Resource Management. Mr Hassan is an accredited independent commissioner and his personal interests include Forest & Bird (contributing financial member) and Life Thrust Trust (trustee and committee member). 

Judge Hassan will be sworn in on 31 January 2014 at Wellington.