Judge moved on after colourful emails revealed

The Manukau District Court judge who caused a stir with his criticism of staff and lawyers at the court will not be returning there.

From early next year, Judge Roy Wade will preside at the Auckland District Court.

Until then, he has been rostered by the Chief District Court Judge, Russell Johnson, to sit in other courts in the Auckland region.

Judge Johnson announced the move yesterday. He refused to say why Judge Wade was moving.

The change comes less than a week after private emails between the judge and a lawyer were revealed by the Weekend Herald.

The emails contained some stinging assessments of some lawyers at the Manukau court as well as complaints about the court system and the staff.

In one of the leaked emails Judge Wade labelled the court "Mickey Mouse Manukau mayhem" and wrote he was about to "lose the plot with some of the useless staff".