New Principal Environment Judge Named

Judge Craig Thompson has been appointed Principal Environment Judge, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Judge Thompson has practised as a litigator in Blenheim and as a former Crown Counsel, and was appointed Deputy Solicitor-General in 1985. He was a member of the Legislation Advisory Committee from its inception until his appointment as a District Court Judge in 1992.

He was the District Court representative on the Criminal Practice Committee from 2000 to 2003, from 1997 to 2003 he was a joint author and editor of the Criminal Jury Trials Benchbook for the New Zealand Judiciary; and was the Consulting Editor (with the late Judge TM Abbott) of Abbott and Thompson District Courts Practice (Criminal) published by LexisNexis.

He was appointed an Alternate Environment Judge in 2001 and has been a full-time Environment Judge since August 2003.