Manukau barrister and solicitor Soana Moala has been appointed an Acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant to be based in Manukau, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson has announced this week.
Ms Moala was admitted to the bar in 2002 and was a Crown prosecutor at Meredith Connell from that year until 2012.
During that time she prosecuted a significant number of criminal trials in both the District Court and High Court, including serious violence, sexual abuse and drug crime trials.
She established the partnership Moala Merrick in 2012, specialising in criminal defence law.
Ms Moala is also on the prosecution panel for the Manukau Crown Solicitors.
Judge Moala will be sworn in on 2 September 2016 in Manukau.
“We as Pasifika people have an amazing start. We’ve had solid grounding from our parents and our families, but it’s time to step up. I didn’t place any limits on myself in my abilities and what I could achieve as a student”, she was quoted by the University of Auckland website as saying.
“Pasifika people can see life from different angles – we’re multidimensional. Study and get the best grades so that you’re able to get the best jobs. Don’t be average, be great instead.
“There are a significant number of Pasifika people coming through the court system, both as victims and as offenders. As a Crown Prosecutor, from South Auckland, I have empathy, am able to speak and relate to them in a way that makes them feel included and understood.
“It is important for our people to have a representative of their community on the side of the law, to help them understand the law. In return, it gives the law legitimacy.”
