District Court Judge La-Verne King has been appointed New Zealand’s next Principal Family Court Judge, becoming the head of the country’s Family Court from November.
Attorney-General Chris Bishop announced the appointment on Friday, confirming Judge King will take over following the retirement of Jackie Moran, who has held the role since 2018.
Judge King, of Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa and Ngāti Paoa, was admitted to the bar in 1989 and has spent more than three decades working across the legal system, with much of her career focused on children, young people and whānau.
She is the first person of Māori descent to be appointed as the Chief Family Court Judge.
Before joining the bench, she held a number of specialist legal appointments, including Youth Advocate, Counsel for Child, District Inspector for Mental Health and Visiting Justice.
In 2018, she was also appointed to the independent panel reviewing the 2014 Family Justice reforms.
Judge King was appointed to the District Court in 2019, serving primarily in the Family and Youth Courts across Te Tai Tokerau.
Since 2021, she has been the Family Court Liaison Judge for the Northland region.
Her appointment follows a career marked by several milestones.
In 1994, alongside Ida Malosi and Sandra Alofivae, she co-founded KAM Legal, the country’s first Māori and Pasifika women-led law firm.
After returning to the Far North in 2007, Judge King established Doubtless Bay Law Limited to provide legal services tailored to the needs of local communities.
Judge King will begin her new role as Principal Family Court Judge in November.
