新西兰任命新任首席家事法院法官 La-Verne King 将于11月履新

【新西兰华人每日资讯】 新西兰总检察长Chris Bishop今日宣布,现任北地地区旺阿雷(Whangārei)地区法院法官La-Verne King获任命为新一任首席家事法院法官(Principal Family Court Judge),将于2026年11月正式履职。

她将接替自2018年担任该职务、即将退休的Jackie Moran法官。

拥有逾35年法律专业经验

La-Verne King法官于1989年取得律师资格,拥有超过35年的法律执业及司法经验。

1994年,她与现任首席青年法院法官Ida Malosi及法官Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae共同创办了KAM Legal,这是新西兰首家由毛利族裔及太平洋岛国女性共同成立的律师事务所,具有重要的历史意义。

长期服务北地社区

2007年,King法官返回新西兰北地(Far North),创立Doubtless Bay Law Limited律师事务所,为当地社区提供多元法律服务。

在进入司法系统之前,她曾先后担任多个重要法律职务,包括:

1992年:青年辩护律师(Youth Advocate)

1994年:儿童法律代表(Counsel for Child)

2003年:精神健康监察员(District Inspector for Mental Health)

2009年:巡视司法官(Visiting Justice)

2018年,她还获任命加入独立评审小组,负责检讨2014年家事司法改革(Family Justice Reforms)。

长期专注家事与青年司法

King法官于2019年获任地区法院法官,此后主要在北地地区审理**家事法院(Family Court)及青年法院(Youth Court)**案件。

2021年,她进一步获任命为北地地区家事法院联络法官(Family Court Liaison Judge),负责协调当地家事法院事务。

她同时拥有Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa及Ngāti Paoa毛利部族血统,对毛利社区事务具有深入了解。

将于11月正式接任

根据总检察长办公室公布的消息,King法官将在2026年11月正式接任首席家事法院法官一职。

首席家事法院法官负责领导全国家事法院系统,在家事司法政策、法院管理及审判实践方面发挥重要作用,对于涉及儿童监护、家庭暴力保护令、离婚、收养及家庭纠纷等案件具有重要影响。

此次任命也延续了新西兰近年来重视司法系统多元化及丰富家事审判经验的用人方向。

Judge La-Verne King, District Court Judge of Whangarei, has been appointed as the new Principal Family Court Judge, Attorney-General Chris Bishop announced today.

Judge King (Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa and Ngati Paoa) was admitted to the Bar in 1989. In 1994 along with (now) Principal Youth Court Judge Ida Malosi and (now) Judge Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae she established the first Māori and Pasifika women law firm, KAM Legal.

In 2007 she returned to the Far North and went on to establish Doubtless Bay Law Limited in response to the many and varied legal needs of the local community. She was appointed as Youth Advocate in 1992, Counsel for Child in 1994, District Inspector for Mental Health in 2003 and Visiting Justice in 2009. In August 2018 she was appointed a member of the Independent Panel considering the 2014 Family Justice Reforms.

Judge King was appointed to the District Court Bench in 2019 and throughout her judicial career has sat primarily in the Family and Youth Courts in Northland. In 2021 she became the Family Court Liaison Judge for the Northland region.

Judge King will commence her appointment as Principal Family Court Judge in November following the retirement of Judge Jackie Moran who has held the role since 2018.