District Court Judges Appointed 24 April
Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins KC today announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges.
The appointees will take up their roles in May, filling vacancies at the Wellington, Manukau and Dunedin courts.
Those appointed are:
David Laurenson KC
Mr Laurenson worked as a paralegal in London from 1988-1990 and was admitted to the New Zealand bar in 1990. He joined Bell Gully in 1990 before moving to Luke Cunningham from 1993-1996, then going back to Bell Gully in 1996.
He established himself as a barrister in Wellington in 1999, initially at Capital Chambers and since 2002 at Thomas More Chambers, which merged with Clifton Chambers in 2017.
Mr Laurenson was a member of the Crown Prosecution Panel between 2000 and 2006, appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014, and his practice has been primarily in the public and commercial law areas in recent years.
He will be based at the Wellington District Court and is due to be sworn in on 12 May.
Sacha Nepe
Ms Nepe (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and Te Aitanga a Mahaki) was admitted to the bar in 1997 and started her legal career in Rotorua as a staff solicitor with Rangitauira & Co before moving to Hamilton, joining Preston Matenga in 1999. In 2004 she moved to Bogers Scott & Shortland as a Senior Solicitor before becoming a Barrister and Solicitor in 2007.
She has worked primarily as a litigator in the District Court, working in both the summary and jury trial jurisdictions. In the Family Court she has worked as a Lawyer for Child, Youth Advocate and Lawyer for Subject Person.
She will initially be based at the Manukau District Court and is due to be sworn in on 23 May.
Hermann Retzlaff
Mr Retzlaff is currently serving as the National Public Defender of New Zealand.
He was admitted to the bar in 2003 and, after serving his scholarship bond in Samoa with the National University of Samoa, started his legal career in New Zealand in 2005 as a Crown Prosecutor with Meredith Connell. He joined the Public Defence Service in 2009 as a Senior Solicitor, working in all the Auckland courts, and latterly as the Public Defender of North Shore.
In 2016 he was appointed the Attorney-General of Samoa, serving four years in that role before moving to Kayes Fletcher Walker as a Senior Crown Prosecutor in 2020. In 2021 he was appointed as Public Defender of Waitakere, rejoining the Public Defence Service until being appointed to his current position in February 2024.
Mr Retzlaff served as President of the Pacific Lawyer’s Association from 2012 to 2014 and carries the chiefly matai titles from his family in Samoa of Lemalu from Safato’a Lefaga, and a bestowed chiefly title of Mua’utasi from Puipa’a Faleata.
He will be based at the Dunedin District Court and is due to be sworn in on 19 May.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/district-court-judges-appointed%E2%80%AF