New District Court judge appointed

Faumui Penelope “Lope” Ginnen has been appointed as a judge of the District Court.

The Auckland barrister will be based in Manukau and will also have jurisdiction as a judge of the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced. She will be sworn in on 26 July.

Ginnen is of Samoan (Safune, Tufutafoe, Leauva’a, Lefaga) and Pākehā descent.

She was admitted in 1991 and started her legal career at Russell McVeagh. She was also a part of Grey Lynn Neighbourhood Law Office, Burns Hart & Co, and King Alofivae Malosi, the Māori and Pacific women law firm founded by Judge La-Verne King, Ali’imuamua Sandra, and Judge Ida Malosi.

She was a partner at KAM Legal until 2005, when she joined the independent bar and Halcyon Chambers in Auckland.

Ginnen also has extensive corporate governance experience. She is currently part of the boards of Auckland District Health Board; Vaka Tautua; Emerge Aotearoa; Brainwave Trust Aotearoa; Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra; Bruce Pulman Park Trust; the Community Advisory Group to the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts; the Independent Advisory Group to Precision Driven Health; and Waka Hourua Maori and Pacific Suicide Prevention Program.

She has been chairperson of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia, deputy chairperson of Housing New Zealand, and board member of Hobsonville Land Company and the Counties Manukau District Health Board.