Court of Appeal Judge and Chief High Court Judge appointed

The Honourable Justice Helen Winkelmann, Chief High Court Judge, has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal and the Honourable Justice Geoffrey John Venning, Judge of the High Court in Auckland, has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Winkelmann graduated from Auckland University in 1984 and was a partner with Phillips Fox for a number of years. She commenced practice at the independent bar in 2001.

In 2004 Justice Winkelmann was appointed a Judge of the High Court, becoming Chief High Court Judge in 2010.

Justice Venning graduated from the University of Canterbury in 1981 and joined Christchurch firm Wynn Williams and Co. He was admitted to the partnership of Wynn Williams in 1986.

Justice Venning was appointed a Master of the High Court in 1995 and in November 2002 he relocated to Auckland to take up a position as a High Court Judge.

The appointments will take effect on 1 June 2015.