Meet the North Shore District Court Judges

A panel discussion with their Honours Judge Partridge, Judge Bennett and Judge Fitzgibbon

Following on from the success of our Meet the Manukau District Court Judges event late last year, AWLA invites you to a panel discussion with three recently appointed North Shore District Court Judges: Judge Partridge, Judge Bennett and Judge Fitzgibbon.  Their Honours will reflect on their journey to the bench, the transition from practice to the judiciary, and their experiences so far.

Her Honour Judge Partridge

From 1997 to Her Honour’s appointment to the bench, Judge Partridge was a barrister sole.  She is a specialist in all aspects of family law and was for many years the FLS co- regional representative in South Auckland.  She has mentored many in the South Auckland community throughout her career.  Judge Partridge was sworn in on 31 July 2015 with Family Court jurisdiction.

Her Honour Judge Bennett

Judge Bennett began her career as a barrister in Hamilton from 1989 to 1999, where she conducted several jury trials, including for murder, as well as judge-alone defended hearings.  After this, Judge Bennett was in chambers as a barrister in Auckland and Manukau since 1999. In 1989 Judge Bennett was appointed a Youth Advocate and focussed her practise primarily in that jurisdiction prior to her appointment to the bench.  Judge Bennett was sworn in on 3 October 2019 with jury jurisdiction. 

Her Honour Judge Fitzgibbon

After admission to the bar, Judge Fitzgibbon was as a lawyer for the Service and Food Workers Union, before joining Jackson Russell, becoming a partner with that firm and establishing its employment law team.  She was a part-time member of the Refugee Status Appeals Authority between 2000 and 2005 while at the same time working as a founding partner of LawWorks, specialising in civil litigation and mediation.  She set up as a barrister in 2008, was President of the Auckland District Law Society between 2009 and 2012 and Chairperson of the Auckland Community Law Centre between 2011 and 2012. Immediately prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Fitzgibbon was a full-time member of the Employment Relations Authority. Judge Fitzgibbon was sworn in on 11 March 2021 with jury jurisdiction.

• What: Drinks and nibbles followed a panel discussion thanks to McVeagh Fleming.
• Where: McVeagh Fleming, Level 1, South Tower, McVeagh Fleming Building, 5-7 Corinthian Drive, Albany 0752
• When: Tuesday 10 May 2022, 6.00 pm. 
• Tickets: $5 for AWLA members and $10 for non-members.
• RSVP: By 5 pm, Tuesday 3 May 2022.