Christchurch lawyer Rachel Dunningham has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, according to the office of Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson.
Dunningham graduated with an LLB (Hons) 1st Class from the
University of Canterbury in 1996 and became a solicitor at
Buddle Findlay in Christchurch, where she was already employed as a law clerk. In 2005 she became a partner of that firm.
Prior to studying law, she was employed in various teaching roles with the education sector from 1982 to 1994.
Her main practice area has been in local government and resource management law, commercial disputes and personal and estate litigation. She has particular expertise in water-related issues having acted for Rangitata Diversion Race Management and Central Plains Water in the context of Water Conservation Order hearings and large scale consent applications under the Resource Management Act.
She is currently President of the Canterbury-Westland Branch of the
New Zealand Law Society, and an appointee on a Standards Committee of the
New Zealand Law Society. She is a member of the
New Zealand Law Society Legislation Committee and the Resource Management Law Association.
The new Judge will sit in Christchurch.
