Hon Dr Michael Cullen
Attorney-General

8 October 2008 Media Statement

District Court Judge Appointed

Gerard Martin Lynch, Barrister of Christchurch, has been appointed a District Court Judge, Attorney-General Michael Cullen announced today.

Mr Lynch was admitted in 1988. He was with Gibson Sheat Solicitors from 1988 to 1990 and Wynn Williams and Co Solicitors from 1990 to 1993 before taking up a position as a Crown Prosecutor, Christchurch in 1993 which position he held until 2000. Following two years with the Ministry of Fisheries, he again took up a position as a Crown Prosecutor from 2002 to 2004. He has been practising as a Barrister at Riverlands Chambers since 2004, predominantly in the criminal jurisdiction.

Mr Lynch’s experience includes criminal, civil, family, coronial hearings, and to a lesser extent employment law. He has also been appointed from time to time to assist the Coroner and the Court in criminal matters. He was co-Counsel for the Department of Labour in the first stage of the inquiry into the collapse of the viewing platform at Cave Creek and has conducted numerous prosecutions on behalf of Government Departments or quasi-governmental organisations. In the criminal jurisdiction he has prosecuted and defended numerous trials in both the District and High Courts, has had regular appearances in the Youth Court and has had significant experience in appeals in both the High Court and Court of Appeal. He has regularly been a member of Canterbury District Law Society Committees, is currently a member of the NZ Law Society Criminal Law Committee, Counsel for the Canterbury District Law Society on disciplinary matters and involved with the Volunteer Community Law Centre. Mr Lynch is also a Board of Trustees member of Waimairi Primary School.

Mr Lynch will be sworn in at Christchurch on Friday 31 October 2008 and will sit in Palmerston North.

ENDS

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