District Court Judge Grant Powell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court.

Justice Powell graduated with an LLB(Hons) from Auckland University in 1987 and commenced practice as a solicitor with the Auckland office of Kensington Swan.  

From 1996 to 2003 he was a partner at Walters Williams & Co and its predecessor firm, Tunnicliffe Walters Williams, leaving in 2003 to form the partnership of Powell Webber & Associates.  In 2011, Justice Powell left Powell Webber to practise as a barrister sole.

Throughout his career as a lawyer Justice Powell played a significant role as counsel in the negotiation of several Treaty of Waitangi settlements and in representing primary claimants in regional inquiries in the Waitangi Tribunal.  

He was appointed a District Court Judge in 2013.

Justice Powell will sit in Auckland. He will be sworn in on 1 March 2018. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Number 1 High Court, Auckland at 4:00pm.