She was previously chief District Court judge and alternate Environment Court judge
Judith Collins, attorney-general, has announced the appointment of Jan-Marie Doogue – retired High Court judge and former chief District Court judge – as chairperson of the New Zealand Parole Board, effective 15 July 2025.
“I welcome the appointment of someone with Justice Doogue’s legal acumen and administrative experience to this demanding role,” Collins said in a news release from the government.
Collins shared that Doogue will replace Sir Ronald Young, who recently stepped down after finishing two terms in the position.
“I want to thank Sir Ronald for the able and committed leadership he provided throughout his tenure as chairperson, and in particular to the focus he placed on the role of victims within the parole process,” Collins said in the news release.
The government’s news releases on Doogue’s appointment as chair of the Parole Board and her earlier appointment as judge of the High Court provided more information on her professional background.
In 1980, Doogue earned an LLB from the University of Auckland and commenced her legal career at Holmden Horrocks, an Auckland-based law firm.
She joined Cairns Slane in Auckland in 1983 and was promoted to partner in 1986. She then started working as a partner at Morrison Morpeth in 1990.
Doogue joined the independent bar in 1992 and practised out of Auckland-based William Martin Chambers for two years.
She became a District and Family Court judge in 1994 and a Family Violence Court judge in 2005. She received a jury warrant in 2007 and an appointment as an alternate Environment Court judge in 2011.
Doogue became New Zealand’s chief District Court judge in 2011. In this role, she earned numerous Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA) Incorporated Awards for Excellence in Judicial Administration.
She has held appointments as a Hague network judge for New Zealand and as a member of the Hague expert group on cross-border matters affecting children.
Doogue was sworn in as a High Court judge in Wellington on 19 August 2019. She served in this role from 2019–24.
