The Judges of the Court of Appeal

The Honourable Justice O’Regan

Justice Mark O’Regan graduated from the Victoria University of Wellington in 1977. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court in 1977 and became a partner with the firm Chapman Tripp in 1984. He became a judge of the High Court in 2001 and a judge of the Court of Appeal in January 2004.

Justice O'Regan was appointed as President of the Court of Appeal with effect from 1 July 2010.

top

The Honourable Justice Hammond

Justice Grant Hammond graduated from the University of Auckland and the University of Illinois. He was a partner in the Hamilton law firm Tompkins Wake & Co. He was then a Professor of Law in American and Canadian Universities, and Chairman of a Canadian law reform agency before becoming Dean of Law at the University of Auckland. He was appointed a judge of the High Court in 1992 and to the Court of Appeal in January 2004. He has been appointed the President of the New Zealand Law Commission.

top

The Honourable Justice Arnold

Justice Terence Arnold graduated from Victoria University (BA and LLM) and New York University (LLM). He taught criminal law at Victoria University in Wellington as well as at several Canadian universities, including Dalhousie University and the University of Calgary. He 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. He was Solicitor-General between 2000 and 2006. He was appointed a judge of the High Court and the Court of Appeal in May 2006.

top

The Honourable Justice Ellen France

Justice Ellen France has an LLB (Hons) from Auckland University and an LLM from Queen’s University, Ontario. Before being appointed to the High Court in April 2002 she was a senior legal adviser in the Department of Justice Law Reform Division; Crown Counsel and then Deputy Solicitor-General in the Crown Law Office. She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in June 2006.

top

The Honourable Justice Randerson

Justice Randerson graduated from Auckland University with LLB (Honours) in 1972. He joined the legal firm of Wallace McLean Bawden & Partners (later Kensington Swan) and remained with the firm as a senior litigation partner until 1989, when he commenced practice as a barrister sole. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1996. Justice Randerson was appointed a judge of the High Court from October 1997 and has sat from time to time in the Divisional Courts of the Court of Appeal. In September 2009 he was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal with effect from 1 February 2010.

top

The Honourable Justice Harrison

Justice Harrison graduated LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1971. He worked for McAlister Mazengarb before working a year in Kampala, Uganda. He returned to Auckland and was for some years a partner in Milne Meek (later McElroy Milne). He went to the bar in 1988 and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1994. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court in Auckland in 2001 and was appointed a Court of Appeal Judge on 1 July 2010.

top

The Honourable Justice Stevens

Justice Stevens graduated BA LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1970, and obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law from Oxford University in 1972. He was Crown prosecutor and a partner at Meredith Connell & Co from 1975, leaving to join Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co as a partner in 1980. In 1992, Justice Stevens went to the Bar and he was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997. During his career he was also admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Australian Capital Territory and the States of Victoria and New South Wales and was also a barrister in Samoa and the Cook Islands. He was appointed a High Court Judge based in Auckland in July 2006 and a Court of Appeal Judge on 1 July 2010.

top

The Honourable Justice Wild

Justice John Wild graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 1969. He joined Bell Gully & Co in 1967 initially as a law clerk and then solicitor, and in 1969 was awarded the Timothy Cleary Memorial Prize. Justice Wild commenced practice at the independent bar in 1976 and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1993. He joined the Council of the New Zealand Bar Association in 1992 and was its President when, in September 1998, he was appointed a judge of the High Court. On 2 February 2011 he was appointed to the Court of Appeal.

top

The Honourable Justice White

Justice Douglas White graduated LLM with 1st class Honours from Victoria University. He was admitted to the Bar in 1969 and was a legal assistant with the Law Commission in London from 1970-71. He was a litigation partner in Young Bennett & Co, later Young Swan McKay & Co (now Kensington Swan) from 1972-1986 when he moved to the separate bar. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1988. While at the bar he conducted inquiries for the State Services Commissioner into the Defence Force and the Civil Aviation Authority and for the Prime Minister into matters relating to Te Whanau o Waipareira and Hon John Tamihere. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court on 24 August 2009 and to the Court of Appeal on 23 December 2011.

top

The Honourable Justice French

The Hon Justice French was educated in Invercargill and achieved an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Otago in 1981. She was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford (United Kingdom) and graduated BCL in 1983. On return to New Zealand she practised in the legal firm of French Burt Partners in Invercargill. She has been a member of various Law Society committees. Justice French was appointed to the Court of Appeal on 6 August 2012.

top

Sections

Subsections