New ‘Twin’ Judges Make History With Double Swearing-In

In the tsunami of recent District Court Judge appointments, Nelson appointees Michelle Duggan and Nicola Grimes share their elevation just as they share most other high points in their lives.

>>Daily Law Jobs on LawFuel Jobs – See Here

Born eight days apart, both working in the Family Court and both with three children, the new Judges even share the same middle name.

The two lawyers were sworn in as Judges last Monday, making history as the first two DCJs sworn in together.

Chief District Court Judge Moran said at the dual admission that the two new judges were joining the Family Court at an exciting time.

The pair were part of the biggest injection of “new blood” of 12 new judges who were “sorely needed reinforcements” as the court wrestled with record backlogs.

[adrotate banner=”87″]

Latest on LawFuel

• Silks, Supremacy, and Sleepless Nights – Inside Chris Bishop’s Playbook as Attorney-General
• FNZ’s US$4.6b Class Action – Inside the Employee Shareholder Revolt
• MinterEllison Slashing Graduate Jobs: Is AI Replacing Junior Lawyers?
• NZ Lawyer News – Cavell Leitch Recruits former Minters Partner to Launch Wellington Office
• Doing the Mahi on Maiki: How TVNZ Tried to Bury Its Own Scandal
• NZ Law – Chapman Tripp’s New Podcast Series
• Hamilton Law Firm Fined $60K for AML Breaches and Obstruction
• ANZ’s CCCFA Defence: The Dog Ate My Compliance Calculator
• Winston Peters Disavows Key Claim in Attorney-General’s Letter – Judicial Conduct Panel Report on Judge Ema Aitken
  In a significant procedural footnote to New Zealand’s first full Judicial Conduct Panel inquiry, Winston Peters has formally disavowed a specific statement attributed to him in a letter sent by then-Attorney-General Judith Collins to Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann. The revelation is contained in the Judicial Conduct Panel’s report released on 10 April 2026 into the conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken, which we have reported previously on several occasions, as befits hearings of rowdy judicial goings-on in salubrious surroundings. Log in to read . .
• NZ Law – The Great Escape: Why NZ’s Regional Law Firms Can’t Hold Their Lawyers