Former Tauranga and Rotorua lawyer Taryn Bailey appointed a judge in Whangārei

Taryn Bailey has been appointed a judge and will sit in the Whangārei District Court. Photo / Supplied

When Judge Taryn Bailey looks at her career as a lawyer, she says there's been no better training ground to become a judge than working in Rotorua, Whakatāne and Tauranga.

Judge Bailey has recently been sworn in as a district court judge and will make the move from Tauranga to sit in the Whangārei District Court.

It's a big move, having served all of her time in law in the Bay of Plenty.

It's also a big change for her long-time partner, Tony Balme, who is taking early retirement as a senior defence lawyer in Tauranga to join Bailey in Whangārei, having carved his career since 1981.

"Tony is retiring now so I am able to take up this opportunity which I am very grateful for. My appointment means Tony now steps back as a senior defence lawyer and youth advocate after a career of 40 years."

Defence lawyer Tony Balme. Photo / Supplied

Balme said despite having another 10 years or so left in the industry, he had decided to retire to allow Bailey the opportunity.

"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to be appearing in the courts up there. It's not a big enough court to schedule my cases to avoid her."

Despite having to wind up his work, Balme said he was looking forward to it.

"I've got lots of other interests and plenty of other things to keep me busy and I'm excited about it. I finally can do all those things I couldn't do before because you're always so time poor."

Judge Bailey said her appointment was a reflection of the guidance, friendship and support she had had from the "exceptional" lawyers she was fortunate to work for, alongside and against.

These included Balme and former Rotorua Crown Solicitor John MacDonald, whom she worked for at Davys Burton in Rotorua from 2004.

Bailey will now be following in her former boss' footsteps as MacDonald steps down as a Whangārei District Court Judge.

Bailey has had an extensive career in law working as a criminal litigation lawyer until her appointment.

She's an experienced trial lawyer both as a Crown prosecutor in Tauranga and Rotorua and defence lawyer in Tauranga involving complex and serious crimes in both the district and high courts. Some of these included multiple complainant historic sexual and violent offending, murder and serious drug offending.

She had been working as counsel assisting the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care until the date of her appointment.

Before going to the bar about 10 years ago, she was a former Crown prosecutor, starting off at Davys Burton in Rotorua in 2004 and then with Fletcher Pilditch QC and Amanda Gordon at Gordon Pilditch from 2006, also in Rotorua.

In 2008, she moved to Tauranga and worked for the Crown until 2011 during which she worked for now Rotorua District Court Judge Greg Hollister-Jones, the late Judge Robert Ronayne and two other partners, Duncan McWilliam and Kathryn Lellman.

She went to the bar to work alongside Balme before going out on her own in 2017.

She was appointed as a youth advocate in 2011 and practised as a youth advocate in Te Kōti Rangatahi in Tauranga and Whakatāne and the Youth Courts in Tauranga, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki.

As for her new role, she was looking forward to the developments that lay ahead for the district court and the advent of Te Aō Marama, a new inclusive way of holding court hearings.

"I have spent a lot of time as counsel in the therapeutic courts and have seen first-hand the difference that such an approach can make for those who come into the court as offenders, victims or whānau."

Judge Bailey said she had enjoyed being able to help people when she was counsel, as a prosecutor, defence counsel or as a youth advocate.

"I look forward to serving the community in Whangārei and Te Tai Tokerau in my new role."