Hon David Parker
Attorney-General
19 February 2018
Judge of the High Court appointed
Attorney-General David Parker has announced today the appointment of District Court Judge Grant Powell as a Judge of the
High Court.
Justice Powell graduated with an LLB (Hons) from Auckland University in 1987 and commenced practice as a solicitor with
the Auckland office of Kensington Swan.
From 1996 to 2003 Justice Powell was a partner at Walters Williams & Co and its predecessor firm, Tunnicliffe Walters Williams, leaving in 2003 to form the partnership of Powell Webber & Associates. In 2011, Justice Powell left Powell Webber to practice as a barrister sole.
Throughout his career as a lawyer Justice Powell played a significant role as counsel in the negotiation of several
Treaty of Waitangi settlements and in representing primary claimants in regional inquiries in the Waitangi Tribunal.
His appearances as counsel in a wide range of claims examining the nature of Treaty obligations enabled him to explore
the overall relationship between Māori and the Crown and provided an opportunity to educate New Zealanders about Treaty
of Waitangi and Māori Issues.
In 2013 Justice Powell was appointed a District Court Judge.
The new Judge will sit in Auckland.
ends