Bill Lawson and Gene Tomlinson are to become district court judges. Photos / Supplied
Bill Lawson and Gene Tomlinson are to become district court judges. Photos / Supplied
Two of the region's prominent criminal lawyers have been made district court judges.
Bill Lawson has been a criminal lawyer for more than 30 years, in that time establishing his own firm Lance Lawson in Rotorua. He will take up a position as a district court judge in Tauranga, replacingJudge Paul Mabey QC who retires from full-time work in July.
Gene Tomlinson has spent 25 years working in Whakatāne where he was a director of law firm Gowing and Co. He will become a judge in the Whangārei District Court.
Bill Lawson will become a Tauranga District Court judge. Photo / Supplied
Lawson has had an extensive career in Rotorua having started as a solicitor in Invercargill, initially with Macalister Brothers, before moving to Rotorua with Dennett Olphert Sandford.
About 20 years ago, he set up in partnership with Simon Lance to establish Lance Lawson and has been the senior partner responsible for the general development of that firm since that time.
His practice covers criminal, civil and employment law.
Lawson said it was an exciting time to become a judge.
"Increasingly courts are working with communities and agencies that can try to make a difference and do something positive for offenders. I like the direction it is going and I think it is good for justice."
He said becoming a judge was a natural progression following his long career. He was now in the process of handing over his files and winding up his involvement in the firm.
He said both himself and Lance were no longer at the firm and it would be up to those who took it over to decide whether it kept its name.
Lawson said he was resigning from his firm but leaving it in good hands.
"There are a lot of talented people there... I will miss the people and the culture that's pretty special there. It's a nice place to work and I enjoy going to work every day. But when you've been doing something for 31 years, it is time for a change and something new, a new challenge."
Lawson will be sworn in on March 12.
Gene Tomlinson is to become a Whangārei District Court judge. Photo / Supplied
Tomlinson has spent his entire legal career with Gowing and Co based in Whakatāne and is a director of that firm.
The self-confessed "worker" spent the first four years of his legal career from 1996 continuing with his bar work as a duty manager at the Pig and Whistle in Rotorua in the weekends.
"Working is just what I do and it was just income I guess. Working in bars was what I'd always known and I'd always worked as a bouncer in Dunedin when I was at university. I wasn't doing anything else on Friday and Saturday nights so I kept working there and doing duty manager shifts on some Sundays too."
Tomlinson has become a specialist criminal lawyer and now has extensive trial experience as well as being a senior youth advocate for the eastern Bay of Plenty and the Rangatahi Court.
He said he was leaving the Eastern Bay in good hands with his colleagues at his law firm.
"It will be a real wrench for myself and family after building a home and life in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and to rebuild in a new community but we will do it."
He said he was excited to be going to Northland because it was "beautiful".
"I've only ever flown in there for trials but we drove there in January and coming over the Brynderwyn Hills and seeing Whangārei, it literally took my breath away."
