A barrister of Tongan-Irish descent, Tania Margaret Sharkey, has been appointed a District Court Judge in New Zealand.

She is the daughter of Kalolaine Fotu Sharkey and granddaughter of Sosaia Makasini and ‘Amelia Tipaleli Hokafonu Fotu of Houma, Tongatapu. Her father was William Sharkey from Strabane, Northern Ireland.

Ms Sharkey established herself as a barrister at Friendship Chambers in Manukau practicing mainly in the family law area. 

In early 2020, she 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).

She will be sworn in on 4 August 2023 and will take up her appointment at the Manukau District Court in family jurisdiction.

Appointees

Ms Sharkey joins Tania June Warburton and Samoan born, Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae, as new District Court judges, after their appointments were announced by New Zealand’s Attorney General David Parker, on 9 June.

Ms Warburton, a solicitor in Wellington was a judge’s clerk to the then Chief Justice, Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, before becoming Crown Counsel with Crown Law in 1999.

In 2013, she was appointed Deputy Chief Legal Counsel at the Ministry of Justice. Since 2015 she has worked at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as legal advisor to the Prime Minister. She will be sworn in on 28 July 2023.

Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae, a barrister of Auckland, was appointed as a District Court Judge with general jurisdiction to be based in Manukau.

She worked as a solicitor for several sole practitioners before establishing the partnership of King Alofivae Malosi in 1994, where she was a partner 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.