Invercargill lawyer Mike Mika is one of seven new District Court judges announced by Attorney-General David Parker this week.

The appointees replace sitting Judges who have reached retirement age. Mr Mika will be sworn in on March 8 and will be based in Lower Hutt.

A litigation and family lawyer, Mr Mika is a former professional rugby player who played in two World Cups for Manu Samoa. He is the deputy chair of the Invercargill Licensing Trust, a trustee of the Murihiku Maori and Pasifika Cultural Trust, mentor in the FYD Project K programme and Chairman of the James Hargest College Rugby Club.

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He graduated from Otago University, beginning his career with O’Driscoll and Marks Solicitors in Dunedin. Following that he joined Cruickshank Pryde Lawyers in Invercargill and then spent four years working for Drew Jones Solicitors in England. He returned to Invercargill in 2003 and commenced work for Preston Russell as a Crown Prosecutor. He is a director at that firm. 

Married to Jane, they have a son, Jacob.