A Northland expat has been awarded Employee of the Year for her service to the Dubai International Financial Centre courts.
Rita Engelbrecht (nee Hicks) moved to United Arab Emirates in 2007 and took up work in the civil and commercial courts.
She had previously been living in Whangarei, working for the Whangarei District Court and the Northern Advocate, as well as working for international law firms and the Auckland High Court.
She is a judicial co-ordinator at the English-speaking courts, which were established in 2004.
Her role includes assisting the Chief Justice and justices of the courts and managing the registries.