Kitty McKinley and Challenge 2000 are very happy to congratulate Noel Sainsbury on his recent appointment to the bench as a District Court judge in Manukau.

We acknowledge the significant asset that Judge Sainsbury will be to the bench, to the parties whose matters he will be adjudicating, and to the wider community as a committed and compassionate arbiter of justice. At the same time, however, we regret the loss of a generous and competent advocate who has often represented our young people free-of-charge. Of course, this itself reflects the passion for people and social justice that makes Judge Sainsbury’s appointment such welcome news.

In the course of his address to the bench, the Attorney-General, colleagues in law, family, friends and the public gallery, Judge Sainsbury spoke of his career in law as a vocation, and his upcoming service on the bench as a further expression of this vocation.

He also spoke of the “real heroes” who not only support people in the court and criminal system but take significant steps to prevent those people from having to return. He singled out Kitty McKinley as one of these heroes and thanked her for being there at his ceremony. He also singled out Challenge 2000 and WellStop for the work these agencies do in that regard.

We thank Noel for his kind words and service, we congratulate him again on his appointment, and we wish him all the very best for his future on the bench.

Daniel Kleinsman