Family Court Judge Appointed

The Attorney General, Rt Hon Sir Douglas Graham, today announced the appointment of Tauranga barrister and solicitor Tony Fitzgerald as a Family Court Judge.

Judge Fitzgerald will be sworn in at Tauranga District Court on May 10 and will sit in New Plymouth from June 8 this year.

Judge Fitzgerald graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 and an LLB in 1986. He was admitted to the bar in 1987. He has been a partner in the firm of Ronayne Hollister-Jones Fitzgerald for just over a year after approximately five years as barrister sole.

Judge Fitzgerald has worked exclusively in the Family Court and Youth Court areas since 1995. He has been involved in all types of Family Court work, including the prosecution of Hague Convention applications. He has been Convenor of the Bay of Plenty District Law Society Family Law Committee and is a former Secretary of the Bay of Plenty Family Courts Association. He has also been Chair of the Tauranga Care and Protection Resource Panel.

Judge Fitzgerald is married with three sons.