Judges
Judges and Commissioners - Judges
Environment Judges
Environment Judge C J Thompson
Judge Craig Thompson was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1974, and was then engaged in private practice in Blenheim and Wellington as a general litigator but with some emphasis on mining and water and soil issues. He was appointed Crown Counsel in the Crown Law Office in 1983 and Deputy Solicitor-General for New Zealand in 1985. He was a member of the Legislation Advisory Committee from its inception until his appointment as a District Court Judge in 1992. He was the District Court representative on the Criminal Practice Committee, 2000-2003; from 1997 to 2003 he was a joint author and editor of the Criminal Jury Trials Benchbook for the New Zealand Judiciary; and is the Consulting Editor (with Judge TM Abbott) of Abbott and Thompson District Courts Practice (Criminal) published by LexisNexis. He was appointed an Alternate Environment Judge in 2001 and a full-time Environment Judge in August 2003.
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Environment Judge B P Dwyer
Judge Brian Dwyer was appointed to the Environment Court on 1 September 2006.
Judge Dwyer was admitted to the bar in 1973 and is based in the Wellington Registry of the Court. Prior to his appointment, he was the Marlborough District Law Society's President from 1990 to 1991. He also served on the Marlborough Health Trust, St Mary's School Board of Trustees and on the Marlborough Rugby Football Union Executive. As counsel to the Marlborough District Council since 1992, his work involved him in all aspects of resource management practice. He has also been an independent hearings commissioner for local authorities in Kaikoura, Nelson and Marlborough.
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Environment Judge J R Jackson
Judge Jon Jackson was appointed a District Court Judge and Environment Judge on 6 September 1996. Judge Jackson was admitted to the Bar in 1978 and practised in Christchurch for one year before moving to Nelson where he was a partner in a law firm. He has extensive experience in civil litigation and resource management work. He is a member of the Resource Management Law Association and an Associate of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of NZ. He is a former Member of the Nelson District Law Society Committee. He is based at Christchurch.
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Acting Principal Environment Judge L J Newhook
Appointed an Environment Judge in August 2001, Judge Laurie Newhook, graduated from Auckland University with an LLB(Hons) in 1972 and was admitted to the Bar the same year. From 1976 he was a partner of law firm Brookfields and antecedent firms. He practised in resource management, local government and general litigation. The general litigation component had an emphasis on land, maritime matters, construction law and mediation/arbitration work.
In the areas of planning, resource management and local government he acted for councils, landowners, developers, iwi, community groups and environmental groups. The Judge is an Associate of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand and a member of the Resource Management Law Association.
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Environment Judge J A Smith
Judge Jeff Smith was appointed to the Court in July 2000. He is based in Auckland. He was born in Rotorua and completed his education at Kamo High School, Whangarei. He holds an LLB from Auckland University, obtained in 1981, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators London (associate from 1986) and a Foundation Associate of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand. He practised in Tauranga from 1981, first with Sharp Tudhope, and from 1995 until his appointment in 2000 as a Barrister, sole.
He is a very keen piano player and has played professionally and semi-professionally since his youth. The two main bands he has played with were Jazz-A-Plenty, a Dixieland Jazz Band and a Christian Gospel Band, Crosstalk. He is married to Jane (B.A., Dip.Tchg.) and they have two children.
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Environment Judge R G Whiting
Judge Gordon Whiting is based in the Environment Court at Auckland. Judge Whiting graduated BA(Economics) and LLB from Otago University in 1967 and was admitted to the Bar in 1968. He has a Certificate in Mediation from Harvard University and is a Fellow of the NZ Arbitration and Mediation Institute.
He is a former Chairman of Partners in a Whangarei legal firm and specialised in civil and commercial litigation, criminal jury trials, town planning, resource management and tribunals.
He is a former member of the Auckland District Law Society's Disciplinary Committee, a former Northland Council representative on the ADLS and a former Convenor of the Northland Courts' Committee.
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Environment Judge J E Borthwick
Bio under construction.
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Environment Judge M Harland
Bio under construction.
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Alternate Environment Judge G A Rea
Bio under construction.
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Alternate Environment Judge F W M McElrea
Judge Frederick McElrea was appointed as a District Court Judge on 31 May 1988 and still sits in its civil and criminal jurisdictions. He was also a Youth Court Judge from 1990-2001. He graduated MA(Hons) LLB Otago, LLM(London), Dip Criminology(Cantab). He was appointed as an Alternate Environment Judge in 2001.
In 1970-1988 he was a Partner in a major Auckland law firm, specialising in town and country planning and civil litigation. He was co-author of Butterworths' District Court Practice (Civil) 1996-2004 and co-author McElrea & Willy District Courts Manual (2001, 2003).
Judge McElrea is an active member of St Aidans parish, Remuera, Auckland and a keen sailor.
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Alternate Environment Judge J M Doogue
Bio Under Construction
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Alternate Environment Judge C J Doherty
Born 1953.
BA (Hons)/LLB Otago University 1977.
Admitted to the bar 1977. Litigation partner Cook Allan & Co and Cook Allan Gibson Solicitors, Dunedin 1981-1997. Wide ranging practice with specialties of civil litigation and environmental law. Commercial practice included directorships of private investment and trading companies and trustee of several charitable trusts in the medical research field.
Appointed District Court Judge 1997 sitting in Christchurch with general and jury warrants.
Appointed Acting Chief District Court Judge Aug-Sep 2008
Appointed (temporary) Justice of the Supreme Court of Samoa 2003.
Appointed Alternate Environment Court Judge Aug 2008
Formerly Executive Judge Southern Region; currently Chairman District Court Civil Committee, Member Rules Committee, Member Judicial Settlement Conference Faculty of Institute of Judicial Studies (NZ) and Judicial College of Victoria (Aust).
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Alternate Environment Judge C Fox
Bio under construction.
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Alternate Environment Judge P Kellar
Bio under construction.
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Alternate Environment Judge R P Wolff
Bio under construction.
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Alternate Environment Judge J Kelly
Judge Jan Kelly was appointed a District Court Judge in 2003. She continues to sit in its civil and criminal jurisdictions.
Judge Kelly was appointed an Alternate Environment Court Judge in 2009.
Prior to her appointment to the bench Judge Kelly was a commercial litigation partner in the Wellington office of Simpson Grierson.
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Alternate Environment Judge S Clark
Maniapoto, Ngāti Haua
Judge Stephen Clark was appointed to the Māori Land Court for the Waikato-Maniapoto District in January 2008. He graduated from Auckland University (LLB) and was admitted to the Bar in 1988. Judge Clark began practice initially as a law clerk with Sellar Bone and Partners in Auckland in November 1987. He worked for that firm until February 1990. He then joined McCaw Lewis Chapman, Solicitors of Hamilton, in February 1990. Judge Clark was with that firm for 18 years until his appointment. He became a litigation partner in that firm in 1996. Judge Clark is a foundation member and former president of Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa – the New Zealand Māori Law Society. He served on various committees of the Waikato Bay of Plenty District Law Society and was a Specialist Advisor to the Legal Services Agency. In 2007 Judge Clark attained a Post Graduate Diploma in Dispute Resolution from Waikato University.
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Alternate Environment Judge G Davis
Bio under construction.
