Chief Justice welcomes High Court appointment - Justice La Hood
The Chief Justice welcomes the Attorney General’s announcement today of the appointment of Wellington barrister and solicitor Dale La Hood as a Judge of the High Court.
Justice La Hood graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 1994 with an LLB and joined Levin firm Todd Whitehouse as a criminal defence lawyer and litigator in 1995.
In 1999, Justice La Hood relocated to the United Kingdom and spent a period working in civil litigation and public law with London firms Vizard Oldham Solicitors and Hartfields Solicitors, primarily in the areas of insurance, professional indemnity and public law.
From 2001 to 2006 Justice La Hood was a criminal defence lawyer and litigator with Sladden Cochrane & Co in Wellington. His work included regular appearances before the courts on criminal, civil, human rights, and public law matters.
In 2006, he joined Wellington Crown Solicitor’s office, Luke Cunningham Clere, as a Crown prosecutor and litigator, focusing on the prosecution of serious crime such as sexual abuse, complex fraud and homicide. He has also acted for public organisations in areas such as human rights, regulatory enforcement, professional discipline, and health.
Justice La Hood became a partner of Luke Cunningham Clere in 2007 and has been chair of the firm’s governance board since April 2023.
Justice La Hood will take up his appointment on 24 October 2023, sitting in Wellington. He will be sworn in on 25 October 2023.
