Two Acting District Court Judges have been appointed, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson QC announced on Friday.

Wellington barrister and solicitor Tom Gilbert has been appointed an Acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant to be based in Christchurch. Mr Gilbert has been a partner and Senior Crown Counsel with the Wellington Crown Solicitor's office, Luke Cunningham Clere, since 2006.

Mr Gilbert has undertaken and supervised serious Crown and regulatory prosecutions including homicide and sexual violence trials. He is the Convenor of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and a member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. Mr Gilbert also acts as counsel in trials in the Court Martial of New Zealand.

Judge Gilbert will be sworn in on 15 April 2016 in Wellington.

Auckland barrister and solicitor June Jelas has been appointed an Acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant to be based in Manukau. Ms Jelas has primarily practiced as a trial prosecutor and appellate Crown Counsel in the field of criminal law. Her extensive experience in this field includes her role as Crown Counsel at the Crown Law Office where she undertook numerous criminal appeals before the Court of Appeal.

Since 2000, Ms Jelas has also been a regular faculty member and demonstrator for the New Zealand Law Society's Litigation Skills Programme and is a contributing author to the Law Society's text An Introduction to Advocacy.

Judge Jelas will be sworn in on 11 March 2016 in Auckland.