New Zealand's United Nations representative, Gerardus (Gerard) Jacobus van Bohemen, has been appointed a Judge of the High Court. He will sit in Auckland.

After receiving BA and LLB(Hons) degrees from Victoria University of Wellington, he practised in law firms in Wellington and Auckland, the first two years at Russell McVeagh in Auckland, and then for eight years at Buddle Findlay in Auckland where he became a partner. He then moved to Chen Palmer & Partners in Wellington as a partner.

In his legal practice he specialised in environmental and resource management and civil litigation. He appeared twice in the Privy Council in London.

He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Legal Division between 1978 and 1982 and then spent four years at New Zealand's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. On his return to New Zealand he became Deputy Director of the Legal Division.

Justice van Bohemen became Director of the Legal Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2005, and was New Zealand's international legal adviser. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Secretary at the ministry, responsible for Multilateral and Legal Affairs. He led the presentation of New Zealand's claim to an extended continental shelf and has been New Zealand's Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission since 2011.

He was appointed New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 2015 and led New Zealand's mission during its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.