Tauranga Queen's Counsel Paul Mabey has been appointed an Acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant. He will be based initially in Tauranga and then in Rotorua.

Mr Mabey was admitted in Christchurch in February 1977. He practised as a litigation solicitor for 18 years in Christchurch, Palmerston North and Tauranga.

He joined the independent bar in 1994 and specialised in criminal and general litigation. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2000 and has since specialised in criminal law.

Mr Mabey is currently President of the New Zealand Bar Association.

Judge Mabey QC will be sworn in on 28 April 2016 in Tauranga.