Six acting District Court Judges have been appointed as District Court Judges.
Judge Sanjay Patel is appointed from 1 January 2019 as a District Court Judge with a warrant to conduct jury trials. Judge Patel was admitted in June 1992 and worked at Davenports in Henderson from 1993 to 1996 when he moved to Corban Revell. He became a barrister sole in 1999, specialising in criminal defence litigation in the District Courts, High Court and Court of Appeal. He was appointed as an acting District Court Judge in May 2016 and wias be sworn in on 22 June 2016.
Judge Soana Moala is appointed from 1 January 2019 as a District Court Judge with a warrant to conduct jury trials. Judge Moala was admitted to the bar in 2002 and was a Crown prosecutor at Meredith Connell until 2012. During that time she prosecuted a significant number of criminal trials in both the District Court and High Court, including serious violence, sexual abuse and drug crime trials. She established the partnership Moala Merrick in 2012, specialising in criminal defence law. She was appointed an acting District Court Judge in Manukau in August 2016 and was sworn in on 2 September 2016.
Judge Catriona Mary Doyle is appointed from 1 January 2019 as a District Court Judge and to exercise the jurisdiction of the Family Court. Judge Doyle was admitted in May 1993 and commenced practice as a staff solicitor at Hutt Valley law firm Burridge & Co in before joining Thomas Dewar Sziranyi Druce. In 1998 she became a Director of Family Law Specialists Ltd before moving to Hope and Associates in 2015. She was a member of the New Zealand Law Society's Family Law Section executive for a number of years. She was appointed an acting District Court Judge in July 2016 and was sworn in on 18 August 2016.
Judge Noel Joseph Sainsbury is appointed from 8 January 2019 as a District Court Judge with a warrant to conduct jury trials. Judge Sainsbury was admitted in December 1985. He went into practice as a barrister in 1993, and worked mainly in the area of criminal law. He was a member of the Wellington Crown Prosecution Panel although he predominantly acted as defence counsel. He was President of the Criminal Bar Association on his appointment as an acting District Court Judge in November 2016. He was sworn in on 18 November 2016.
Judge Gregory Charles Hollister-Jones is appointed from 10 January 2019 as a District Court Judge with a warrant to conduct jury trials. Judge Hollister-Jones was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in February 1983. He was a Crown prosecutor with Meredith Connell in Auckland from 1987 to 1992 and a barrister in Tauranga from 1992 to 1997. He was appointed Tauranga Crown Solicitor in 1998. He was appointed an acting District Court Judge in March 2017 and was sworn in on 5 April 2017.
Judge Haamiora Lincoln Cooper Raumati is appointed from 20 February 2019 to be a District Court Judge and to exercise the jurisdiction of the Family Court. Judge Raumati was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in July 1995 and joined New Plymouth firm RMY Legal in 1999. He was made a partner of the firm in 2002. He was appointed an acting District Court Judge in March 2017 and was sworn in on 3 April 2017.