Chris Finlayson

Wellington, April 20 NZPA - A Whangarei barrister has been appointed a district court judge.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced the appointment of Gerard Thomas Winter today.

Mr Winter had 28 years experience in civilian and military courts in New Zealand and overseas.

He has been a High Court Judge in Fiji, in 2008 he prepared and advocated a national report for the universal periodic review hearings before the Human Rights Council and last year was appointed a Royal Law Commissioner for Tonga and legal adviser on constitutional and political reforms, following work in Nauru as a United Nations constitutional adviser.

From 1995 to 2003 Mr Winter was in sole practice in Whangarei and Auckland and was a senior crown counsel panel member for Northland. A founding member of the New Zealand Law Society family law section, Mr. Winter was a senior counsel for the child and youth advocate.

Mr Winter will be sworn in at Whangarei on April 30 and will sit in Manukau.