Tauranga lawyer Belinda Pidwell has been appointed as an acting District Court Judge with a Family Court warrant to serve in the Waitakere District Court.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson made the announced yesterday.

Belinda has practiced in litigation since her admission to the Bar 'with a strong focus on criminal and family law”, says Christopher.

In 2004, Belinda joined the independent Bar concentrating on family law, where she regularly acted as lawyer for the child and counsel to assist the Court as well as taking private referrals.

From 2009 to 2011, she was a prosecuting trial attorney for the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

Belinda is currently acting as a consultant to a Tauranga law firm practicing solely in family law.

She will be sworn in on July 25 in Tauranga.