District Court Judge appointed

<p>Auckland barrister David Smith has been appointed a Judge of the District Court with a jury warrant and a Family Court warrant, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. <br /> <br /> Judge Smith was admitted to the bar in 1974. His practice as a barrister sole in Auckland comprises relationship property, employment, leaky buildings work and criminal work with the remainder being a wide range of civil matters, mostly in the High Court.<br /> <br /> Judge Smith started at Cairns Slane as a law clerk in 1972 while completing his law degree. He continued to work for the firm until 2005, and from 1995 to 2002 was Managing Partner. He has served on many law society committees and outside of the law his interests include the Methodist Church, Rotary and Ducks Unlimited, a wetland preservation charity. <br /> <br /> Judge Smith will be sworn in on 27 January 2012 at Auckland and will sit in the Palmerston North District Court.&nbsp;</p>