Deputy Judge Advocate General appointed

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today the appointment of Brian Keith Cunningham as Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces.

Mr Cunningham was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal New Zealand Army Education Corps in 1968, later transferring to Infantry. He held the position of a Company Commander from 1978 to 1983.

Mr Cunningham rejoined the New Zealand Army in 1997, taking up the position of Director Army Legal Services (Territorial Force). He presently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Mr Cunningham was educated at Hastings Boys High School and went on to study at Victoria University of Wellington, graduating with an LLB in 1967.

Mr Cunningham joined Luke Cunningham & Clere in Wellington as a law clerk in February 1963. Mr Cunningham was a partner at Luke Cunningham & Clere from 1969 to March 2009, specialising principally in trusts, administration of estates, civil litigation and military law. Mr Cunningham recently joined Tripe Matthews & Feist in Wellington as a consultant.

Mr Cunningham was appointed a Judge Advocate in January 2005.

The Deputy Judge Advocate General is delegated powers by the Judge Advocate General to be responsible for ensuring the proper administration of armed forces law. Those responsibilities include investigating complaints by the members of the armed forces, appointing judge advocates to sit in courts-martial, and considering and reporting on the proceedings of courts-martial.