Tuesday, 12 December 2000 Media Statement
Principal Environment Judge appointed
The Associate Minister of Justice, Hon Margaret Wilson, has announced the appointment of Joan Allin of Wellington, as
the Principal Environment Judge.
She is expected to take up her new office at the end of March 2001.
Principal Judge Allin has an honours degree in psychology from the University of Western Ontario, an LLB from the
University of Windsor (Canada) and an LLM from York University (Canada). She came to New Zealand in 1979 to take up a
post at Victoria University, and taught planning law, environmental law, legal system, torts and administrative law.
In 1987 she was admitted to the bar and commenced practice with Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young in Wellington where she is
currently a partner. Her practice has been exclusively environmental law. At the time of the development of the Resource
Management Bill in 1988-89 she was appointed to a 4-person core group charged with directing the resource management law
reform process.
Principal Judge Allin is aged 49.