Walker is a Manukau Crown solicitor, while Gambrill is a Christchurch barrister and solicitor
Judith Collins, attorney-general, has announced the following judicial appointments to the High Court of New Zealand: Natalie Walker as a judge sitting in Auckland, and Christopher (Bill) Gambrill as an associate judge sitting in Christchurch.
Walker, who is Manukau Crown solicitor, will assume her new position on 28 May 2026. She will be sworn in on 4 June 2026 at the Auckland High Court.
Gambrill, a Christchurch barrister and solicitor, will start serving in his new role on 30 March 2026. He will be sworn in on 17 April 2026 at the Christchurch High Court.
Helen Winkelmann, New Zealand’s chief justice, welcomed the attorney-general’s announcement regarding the two additions to the High Court.
The government’s news release and the courts’ media statement provided more information regarding the two new judicial appointees.
Judge Walker was the first Manukau Crown solicitor, appointed in 2015. As a principal Crown prosecutor, she has prosecuted serious crime in the Counties Manukau region and acted on the Crown’s behalf in appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
She co-established Kayes Fletcher Walker in 2014.
At Meredith Connell, Auckland Crown solicitor’s firm, Walker became senior Crown counsel and an associate of the firm in 2008 and a partner in 2013. She focused on Crown prosecution work in the District Court and High Court.
Beginning in 2001, she spent six months as a junior barrister for the late John Haigh. She worked at Chapman Tripp for some time.
Walker obtained an LLB and BA from the University of Auckland in 1998 and an LLM with distinction from University College London in 2000. She also received a diploma of Māori language fluency from Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.
Since March 2020, Associate Judge Gambrill has served as special counsel handling commercial litigation at Martelli McKegg in Auckland. He has focused on company and insolvency matters, conflict of laws, and trust and equity disputes.
He is a fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand.
From 2005–19, Gambrill was based in the United Arab Emirates, where he worked at advocate and legal consultancy firms. For nine years, he acted as special counsel at Everys Legal Consultancy, a branch of an English law firm.
He conducted arbitrations and proceedings before the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre, a separate common law jurisdiction in Dubai.
Gambrill served as a commercial litigator at White Fox & Jones in Christchurch and at Simpson Grierson in Auckland until 2005.
He gained admission as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 1996. He joined Berwin Leighton, a London law firm, in 1995. He worked at Simpson Grierson Butler White in Wellington until 1994.
Gambrill earned an LLB (honours) from Victoria University of Wellington in 1992.
