Attorney-General David Parker has appointed three new District Court Judges who will take up their roles in July, August and September respectively, replacing judges who are about to retire.
Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae, barrister of Auckland, has been appointed as a District Court Judge with a general jurisdiction, to be based in Manukau.
Ms Alofivae worked as a solicitor for several sole practitioners before establishing the partnership of King Alofivae Malosi in 1994.
She was a partner in that firm before setting up practice as a Barrister Sole in 2005. She was one of the first lawyers to be appointed to the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court in Auckland.
Ms Alofivae has had a corporate governance career alongside her legal practice. In 2016, she was appointed the independent Chair of the South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board and in 2018 she was appointed as a Commissioner to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in Care.
Judge Alofivae will be sworn in on 4 September 2023.
Tania Margaret Sharkey has been appointed as a District Court Judge with a family jurisdiction, to be based in Manukau. Ms Sharkey is of Tongan (Houma, Tongatapu) and Irish descent.
In early 2020, Ms Sharkey was appointed Lead Counsel Assisting of the Pacific peoples’ investigation in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in Care. She has been a Parole Board member since 2020, and has held various legal positions, including President of the Pacific Lawyers Association (2018-2021) and several years as Family Law Section Regional Representative (South Auckland).
Judge Sharkey will be sworn in on 4 August 2023 and will take up her appointment at the Manukau District Court.
