Deputy Judge Advocate General appointed

Chief District Court Judge Russell Joseph Johnson has been appointed Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, Attorney-General Chris Finlayson announced today.

Chief Judge Johnson was an Officer of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve for 25 years, being awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration (VRD) in 1987. He retired as Commanding Officer of the RNZNVR in 1992 with the rank of Commander RNZNVR.

Chief Judge Johnson was educated at Inglewood High School and went on to study at the University of Auckland, graduating LLB DipCrim. He practised law for 24 years, as Crown Counsel in Hong Kong from 1974 to 1977, barrister sole in Auckland from 1982 to 1986, and a partner in Wynyard Wood from 1986-1993. He is also a former Vice President of the Criminal Bar Association.

Chief Judge Johnson was appointed to the District Court Bench in January 1993, where he served as a resident Judge of the Waitakere, Auckland and Manukau District Courts. He was appointed Chief District Court Judge in April 2005.

Chief Judge Johnson was a member of the Courts Martial Panel of Counsel from 1970 to 1992. He was appointed a Judge Advocate in January 1993 and a Judge of the Court Martial of New Zealand in 2009.

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.

With the appointment comes appointment as Deputy Chief Judge of the Court Martial.