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Auckland barrister David Kirkpatrick has been appointed an Environment Court Judge and District Court Judge to sit in Auckland, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. 

Mr Kirkpatrick has been a barrister sole since July 2004. He specialises in administrative and public law generally, and resource management law in particular. He appears regularly before consent authorities, the Environment Court, and High Court. He has also appeared before the Court of Appeal, the Privy Council, and the Supreme Court.

From 6 January 2014, the New Zealand Legislation website (legislation.govt.nz) will become a source of official legislation, making New Zealand one of the few comparable jurisdictions to provide free official up-to-date online legislation to the public, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson says.

The change is a result of the Legislation Act 2012, which up-dates and modernises the publication of legislation.

Deputy Solicitor-General (Criminal Group) Cameron Mander has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Cameron Mander graduated with an LLB from Victoria University in 1985 and was initially employed at Parliamentary Services, in the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, before joining Wellington firm Luke Cunningham and Clere as a staff solicitor the following year.

Christchurch lawyer Rachel Dunningham has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Rachel Dunningham graduated with an LLB (Hons) 1st Class from the University of Canterbury in 1996 and became a solicitor at Buddle Findlay in Christchurch, where she was already employed as a law clerk. In 2005 she became a partner of that firm.

Prior to studying law, she was employed in various teaching roles with the education sector from 1982 to 1994.

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

Guidelines on the appointment of retired acting Judges have been agreed with the Chief District Court Judge, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The guidelines set out the principles governing the appointment of retired acting Judges, and outline the circumstances where the appointment of an acting Judge may be necessary.

Retired Judges may be appointed as acting Judges to sit in the District Court for a specified period of time.

Havelock North lawyer John Bergseng has been appointed an acting District Court Judge with general and jury warrants for a period of two years, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The acting Judge will sit in Waitakere. His appointment is to cover for a District Court Judge who has been seconded to the Supreme Court of Vanuatu.

Blenheim lawyer Murray Hunt has been appointed a Family Court Judge to serve in Whangarei, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Mr Hunt was admitted to the bar in 1984 and is of Ngai Tahu and Pakeha descent. He has been a partner at Blenheim firm Hardy Jones Clark since 2007 and was a partner of Gascoigne Wicks (also Blenheim) from 1986 to 2007.

Auckland lawyer Denese Henare ONZM has been appointed as a District Court Judge to serve in Auckland, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Judge Henare was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1974. In 1975 she was a Commissioner on the Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion.

From 1977 to 1986 she completed a Diploma in Air and Space Law from University College, London and worked as a company solicitor for Air New Zealand, during which time she was counsel involved in the Mt Erebus inquiry.

Ill-informed commentary about the numbers of District Court judges shows that the Labour Party at best does not understand the workings of the country’s judicial system and at worst has a disregard for judicial independence, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson said today.

“At the end of 2008, there were 175 judges sitting in the District Court. There are now 174. During that time, case volumes have continued to fall, and we currently have the lowest recorded crime rate in 33 years.”

Whangarei lawyer Christina Cook has been appointed a Family Court Judge to serve in Invercargill, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ms Cook was admitted in 1990. Her early career began in Whangarei as junior counsel with local law firm Connell Rishworth Gerard, and saw her gain experience in general litigation including as a junior on a number of trials.

Brigadier Kevin Riordan ONZM has been appointed Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Brigadier Riordan gained his Bachelor of Laws in 1982 and graduated Master of Laws from Cornell University, New York in 1997. He commenced service in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (Territorial Force) in 1977 before transferring to the Regular Force in 1983 as an officer of the Army Legal Service. He is about to retire as Director General of Defence Legal Services, a role he has held since 2005.

Auckland barrister Grant Powell has been appointed a District Court Judge, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. He will sit in Auckland.

Justice Forrest Miller has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, Attorney General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Miller graduated LLB (Hons) from Otago University in 1981 and LLM from the University of Toronto in 1997.

Initially he worked for the Alexandra firm Bodkins Solicitors and in 1984 moved to Wellington and commenced practice with Chapman Tripp, specialising in securities, regulatory and competition law.

Wellington barrister Brendan Brown QC has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Brown graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the University of Canterbury in 1976. After employment as a law clerk at Brockett Cameron & Co in Christchurch, Justice Brown joined the Wellington firm of Bell Gully as a solicitor, becoming a partner of that firm in 1982.

Justice Terence Arnold has been appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Arnold has a BA and two LLM degrees, from Victoria University and New York University.

Justice Arnold was a partner of Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young between 1985 and 1994. He became a barrister sole in 1994 and, shortly thereafter, was appointed Queen’s Counsel.

Associate Judge David Ian Gendall has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Gendall graduated with an LLB (Hons) from Victoria University in 1973.

In 1974 he joined the Hamilton law firm of Chapman Feenstra & Cartwright, and in 1975 was admitted to the partnership of that firm, later renamed McCaw Lewis Chapman.

In 1997 he retired from partnership and joined the School of Law at the University of Waikato as a senior lecturer. He was appointed Professor and Dean of the School of Law in 2000.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson has expressed his shock and sorrow at the death of Supreme Court Judge, the Honourable Justice Robert Chambers.

“Justice Chambers had an outstanding career as a servant of the law, ultimately appointed to the nation’s highest court,” Mr Finlayson said. “I was devastated to learn of his untimely death.”

The Attorney-General, the Hon Christopher Finlayson, announced today the appointments of 26 Queen’s Counsel.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson today announced the appointment of Jim Hodges and Eileen von Dadelszen as Commissioners of the Environment Court, John Illingsworth as a Deputy Commissioner and the reappointment of David Bunting and Russell Howie as Commissioners, each for a five year term.

The Attorneys-General of Canada, Australia, the United States, New Zealand and England and Wales resolved to work together more closely to fight sexual violence against women and children at yesterday’s Quintet meeting of Attorneys-General in Auckland.

The Attorneys-General also affirmed the declaration made by G8 Foreign Ministers that rape and other forms of serious sexual violence in international armed conflict are war crimes and also constitute grave breaches as defined in the Geneva Conventions and their first Protocol.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson will host an annual meeting of his counterparts from Australia, Canada, the United States and England, Wales and Northern Ireland in Auckland next Wednesday 8 May.

The Quintet of Attorneys-General held its first meeting in 2009. The goal is to share relevant experience and knowledge, and improve cooperation on complex and cross-border legal issues.

Hon Chris Finlayson will represent the New Zealand Government at the Inauguration Mass of Pope Francis I in Rome on 19 March.

“This will be a momentous occasion for the worldwide Catholic community, including Catholics in New Zealand,” said Mr Finlayson.

Pope Francis I is the 266th Roman pontiff, the first pope from the southern hemisphere, and the first pope from the Americas.

Tauranga lawyer Rob Ronayne has been appointed a Judge of the District Court with a jury warrant to sit in Auckland, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.