Appointee to serve in the role until the end of 2025, NZ chief justice says
Helen Winkelmann, New Zealand’s chief justice, has announced the appointment of David Gendall as an acting judge of the High Court in Wellington from 14 July 2025 to 31 December 2025.
According to a 9 July 2025 media statement from the New Zealand courts, Governor-General Cindy Kiro made the appointment on the advice of Attorney-General Judith Collins. The media statement said the appointment aims to help relieve the judicial workload.
Justice Gendall has previously accepted appointments for the role of acting judge of the High Court. On 13 December 2022, Winkelmann announced the appointments of a batch of three acting judges to help the High Court handle the heavier workload due to the disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a media statement from that time, Winkelmann said Gendall, appointed alongside Justice Christine Gordon and Justice Paul Davison, would serve in the role from 1 February 2023 until 31 August 2023.
On 18 December 2020, Winkelmann named Gendall, Justice Kit Toogood, and Justice Gerald Nation as acting High Court judges for a two-year period beginning 1 February 2021. For these appointments, Winkelmann likewise cited the High Court’s need for additional staffing in light of the pandemic’s impacts.
In a media statement from back then, Winkelmann noted that Gendall and Nation, who were both due for retirement in January 2021 before their appointment as acting judges, sat in the High Court at Christchurch.
Last month, Collins announced the appointment of Liz Gellert, an experienced advocate and commercial litigator who has worked for Lowndes Jordan, as an associate judge of the High Court in Auckland, effective 21 July 2025.
In a media statement, Winkelmann welcomed Collins’ announcement of Gellert’s appointment. t. The chief justice noted that Gellert was scheduled to be sworn in at the Auckland High Court on Friday, 1 August 2025.
On 16 May 2025, Collins also named James Alexander MacGillivray, a Waikato barrister who previously worked at Bell Gully and Tompkins Wake, as an Auckland High Court judge, as of 1 August 2025.
In a media statement, Winkelmann welcomed Collins’ announcement of MacGillivray’s appointment. The chief justice added that MacGillivray would be sworn in at the Auckland High Court on Friday, 15 August 2025.
