Wellington Queen's Counsel Peter Churchman has been appointed a Judge of the High Court.

Justice Churchman. 

After graduating with LLB(Hons) from the University of Otago he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in December 1979 and joined the law firm French Sons Burt & Co in Invercargill.

Between 1982 and 1983 he was a solicitor in Dunedin at John Farry and Gowing, before joining Caudwells (now Anderson Lloyd) where he became a litigation partner in 1984. He was appointed a member of the Crown Panel in 1990.

He completed an LLM at the University of Pennsylvania, United States, in 1997.

Justice Churchman joined Kensington Swan in Wellington as a partner in charge of the national employment law team in 2000. He joined the independent bar in 2005 and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2013.

Throughout his career Justice Churchman has appeared in the Family Court, Environment Court, Employment Court and Māori Land Court, in addition to higher courts. He is also a LEADR-trained mediator.