Chief District Court Judge, New Zealand
Judge Taumaunu was appointed Chief District Court Judge of New Zealand in 2019 and leads a bench of more than 170 judges and 18 community magistrates across 59 locations.
He is the first Māori to be appointed to the role and is a fluent Te Reo Māori speaker. His tribal affiliations are Ngāti Pōrou and its sub-tribe Ngāti Konohi, and Ngāi Tahu.
His legal journey began at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington in 1989, where he was the first person from Ngāti Konohi to earn a Bachelor of Laws and go on to practise as a barrister and solicitor. He practised in his hometown of Gisborne for a decade before being appointed to the District Court bench in 2004, becoming the first judge to swear the oaths of office in both English and Te Reo Māori.
Judge Taumaunu is a pioneer of Ngā Kōti Rangatahi o Aotearoa (Rangatahi Courts), in 2008 developing the first of what would become sixteen. His work has been internationally recognised, earning the Veillard Cybulski Award (2017) for innovative youth justice initiatives.
Judge Taumaunu had a previous career in the New Zealand Army, joining the Regular Force Cadet School Webb Class in 1984 and then serving in the Royal New Zealand Signals Corp. Since 2012, he has also served as a judge of the Court Martial of New Zealand.
Outside of law, he enjoys the outdoors and time with his family.
Judge Taumaunu was appointed Chief District Court Judge of New Zealand in 2019 and leads a bench of more than 170 judges and 18 community magistrates across 59 locations.
He is the first Māori to be appointed to the role and is a fluent Te Reo Māori speaker. His tribal affiliations are Ngāti Pōrou and its sub-tribe Ngāti Konohi, and Ngāi Tahu.
His legal journey began at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington in 1989, where he was the first person from Ngāti Konohi to earn a Bachelor of Laws and go on to practise as a barrister and solicitor. He practised in his hometown of Gisborne for a decade before being appointed to the District Court bench in 2004, becoming the first judge to swear the oaths of office in both English and Te Reo Māori.
Judge Taumaunu is a pioneer of Ngā Kōti Rangatahi o Aotearoa (Rangatahi Courts), in 2008 developing the first of what would become sixteen. His work has been internationally recognised, earning the Veillard Cybulski Award (2017) for innovative youth justice initiatives.
Judge Taumaunu had a previous career in the New Zealand Army, joining the Regular Force Cadet School Webb Class in 1984 and then serving in the Royal New Zealand Signals Corp. Since 2012, he has also served as a judge of the Court Martial of New Zealand.
Outside of law, he enjoys the outdoors and time with his family.