Hon Judith Collins KC

Attorney-General

Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds a BA (English and History). He spent two years at the Wellington High Court as Clerk to Chief Justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum before joining Crown Law’s criminal team in 1992.

Justice Boldt became a barrister sole in 2002, practising in criminal and public law, returning to Crown Law in 2012 as a Senior Crown Counsel in the criminal team.

In 2015 Justice Boldt returned to the bar. He has had a broad public law practice, with particular emphasis on criminal and crime-related matters. He has appeared regularly in coronial inquiries and has led more than 400 criminal and civil cases in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court during the past 30 years.

Justice Boldt’s appointment is effective from 1 May and he will sit in Wellington.

Justice Palmer graduated with an LLB (Hons) (First Class) in 1987. He holds a degree in economics and political science from the University of Canterbury and a Masters and Doctorate in Law from Yale Law School.

Justice Palmer has held positions at the Treasury and was Deputy Secretary for Justice (Public Law), Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of Law at Victoria University and Deputy Solicitor-General (Public Law).

He became a barrister sole in 2012, specialising in litigation and advice challenging or defending decisions of government, Crown entities and public bodies and appearing before the higher courts and Waitangi Tribunal in more than 50 public law cases. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014.

Justice Palmer was appointed a Judge of the High Court in 2015, and is currently the Chair of Te Kura Kaiwhakawā | Institute of Judicial Studies.

His appointment takes effect on 1 June 2024.

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