New Chief District Court Judge appointed

New Chief District Court Judge appointed

Auckland Judge Jan Marie Doogue has been appointed the new Chief District Court Judge, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Judge Doogue takes up her appointment on 1 September 2011, and will replace the late Chief Judge Russell Johnson who died in office last month.

“Judge Doogue has the breadth of legal experience, skills and leadership abilities required for the Chief Judge position,” Mr Finlayson said. “I am confident that she will make a significant contribution in the office.”

Judge Doogue was until recently the Northern Region Executive Judge, and is also an Alternate Environment Court Judge. She was appointed as a Family Court Judge in 1994 and was warranted as a jury trial Judge in 2007. In the years from 1983 to 1992 she was a partner in two Auckland legal firms and in the two years immediately prior to her appointment to the District Court Bench she practised as a barrister sole. In 2009 Judge Doogue served as President of the Commission of the Hague Private Law Conference (Child Support Convention), and for a period in 2010 was the Acting Chief District Court Judge.