Hon Christopher Finlayson

Attorney-General

2 December 2016
Media Statement

Appointment of Judge of the High Court

Auckland Queen’s Counsel Christine Gordon has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Gordon graduated with a BA in History from the University of Otago in 1974 and completed an LLB from the University of Auckland in 1983. She joined Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co in 1984 and worked primarily in the area of resource management law.

In 1986 Justice Gordon joined the Auckland Crown Solicitor’s office Meredith Connell where she specialised in criminal law. She became a partner in October 1987 and remained at the firm until 2015.

Justice Gordon was appointed a Senior Counsel (now Queen’s Counsel) in 2008. She held the office of Deputy Prosecutor for the Pitcairn Islands from 2001 until 2014 when she was appointed Public Prosecutor for the Pitcairn Islands.

In 2015 Justice Gordon joined the independent bar and later that year was made Special Counsel at the Manukau Crown Solicitor's office Kayes Fletcher Walker.

Throughout her career Justice Gordon has had extensive experience prosecuting serious criminal cases in both the District Court and High Court and has made numerous appearances in the Court of Appeal.

Justice Gordon has been a member of a number of panels and organisations including the Serious Fraud Office prosecution panel, the Auckland Medico-Legal Society (becoming President in March this year) and the Auckland Woman Lawyers’ Association. She has also been a faculty member of the New Zealand Law Society’s litigation skills programme.

The Judge will be sworn in at the Auckland High Court on 16 December 2016 and will sit in Auckland.

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