District Court Judges Annis Somerville and Peter Rollo have both retired from the bench with a final sitting and ceremony at Tauranga's Huria Marae on 10 February 2017.

The pair, who married in 1998, were the first married members of the judiciary in New Zealand. Judge Rollo was appointed to the bench on 14 July 2000 and Judge Somerville on 2 March 2001.

The pair told the Bay of Plenty Times that they had decided to retire at a time when they were physically able to do the things they wanted to do. They are moving to Wanaka.

Both graduated in law from Otago University.

Judge Somerville was President of the Otago District Law Society in 1996 and a founding member of the Otago Women's Law Society. She set up an all-woman law practice in Dunedin in 1987.

Judge Rollo started work as a lawyer in Invercargill before returning to Dunedin where he worked at Webb Farry as a litigation partner until he was appointed to the judiciary.