Two Senior Lawyers Appointed to New Zealand High Court Bench

Natalie Walker will join the High Court bench as Justice Walker, with her appointment taking effect on 28 May 2026. She will sit in Auckland.

Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of two experienced legal professionals to the High Court of New Zealand, strengthening the country’s judiciary with expertise in criminal prosecution, commercial litigation and international legal practice.

Manukau Crown Solicitor Natalie Walker has been appointed as a High Court Judge, while Christchurch barrister Christopher Gambrill has been appointed as a High Court Associate Judge.

The appointments reflect decades of combined legal experience across both New Zealand and international jurisdictions.

Natalie Walker Appointed High Court Judge

Natalie Walker will join the High Court bench as Justice Walker, with her appointment taking effect on 28 May 2026. She will sit in Auckland.

Justice Walker has built a distinguished career in criminal law and Crown prosecution, becoming one of New Zealand’s leading prosecutors in serious criminal cases.

She graduated from the University of Auckland in 1998 with both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, before continuing her studies at University College London, where she completed a Master of Laws with Distinction in 2000.

Following her return to New Zealand in 2001, Walker spent six months working as a junior barrister to the late John Haigh QC, one of the country’s most respected criminal lawyers.

She later joined Meredith Connell, the Auckland Crown Solicitor’s firm, where she specialised in Crown prosecutions in the District and High Courts. Her work focused on serious criminal matters and complex litigation on behalf of the Crown.

Walker was appointed Senior Crown Counsel and Associate in 2008, before becoming a partner in 2013.

In 2014 she left Meredith Connell to establish the law firm Kayes Fletcher Walker, before being appointed Crown Solicitor for Manukau in 2015, the first lawyer to hold that warrant.

As a Principal Crown Prosecutor, Walker led prosecutions of serious criminal offences across the Counties Manukau region and represented the Crown in appeals before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

In addition to her legal career, she has undertaken study in te reo Māori and holds a Diploma of Māori Language Fluency from Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.

Christopher Gambrill Appointed High Court Associate Judge

Christopher Gambrill has been appointed as a High Court Associate Judge, with his role beginning on 30 March 2026. He will be based in Christchurch.

Associate Judges in the High Court typically preside over commercial, civil and insolvency matters, playing a key role in managing complex litigation and case procedures.

Gambrill graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1992 and began his career at Simpson Grierson Butler White in Wellington.

He moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to work with London law firm Berwin Leighton, and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 1996.

After returning to New Zealand, he practised as a commercial litigator with law firms White Fox & Jones in Christchurch and Simpson Grierson in Auckland.

From 2005 to 2019, Gambrill worked in the United Arab Emirates, gaining significant international legal experience. During this period he served as Special Counsel with Everys Legal Consultancy, where he handled proceedings before the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts, a common law jurisdiction operating within Dubai’s financial district.

His work also included involvement in international arbitration proceedings and cross-border commercial disputes.

Since March 2020, Gambrill has worked as Special Counsel at Martelli McKegg in Auckland, specialising in commercial litigation, including company law, insolvency, conflicts of law, trusts and equity disputes.

He is also a Fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand, reflecting his expertise in dispute resolution and arbitration.

Strengthening the High Court

The High Court plays a central role in New Zealand’s justice system, handling serious criminal cases, major civil disputes and significant constitutional matters, as well as hearing appeals from lower courts.

The appointments of Justice Walker and Associate Judge Gambrill add significant expertise to the bench across criminal law, commercial litigation and international legal practice.

Attorney-General Collins said the appointments will help maintain the strength and integrity of the High Court as it deals with increasingly complex legal cases.