The appointment of two Acting District Court Judges was announced by the Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson QC on Friday (12 February).
June Jelas has been appointed as an Acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant. She is presently an Auckland barrister and solicitor and will be based in Manukau once sworn in.
She has mainly practiced as a trial prosecutor and appellate Crown Counsel in the field of criminal law. This included a role as Crown Counsel at the Crown Law Office where she oversaw various criminal appeals before the Court of Appeal.
Jelas has been a regular faculty member and demonstrator for the
New Zealand Law Society’s Litigation Skills Programme since 2000. She has also contributed to the Law Society’s guide, An Introduction to Advocacy.
Judge Jelas will be sworn in on 11 March in Auckland.
Tom Gilbert is a Wellington barrister and solicitor. He has been appointed as an Acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant and will be based in Christchurch.
Since 2006, he has been partner and Senior Crown Counsel at the Wellington Crown Solicitor’s office, Luke Cunningham Clere. During this time, he took on a number of serious Crown and regulatory prosecutions including homicidal and sexual violence trials.
Gilbert is also Convenor for the Mental Health Review Tribunal and a member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. He also acts as counsel during trials for the Court Martial of New Zealand.
Judge Gilbert will be sworn in on 15 April in Wellington.
