Justice Joseph Williams has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, becoming the first prominent Maori and te reo speaker to be chosen for the high position.
Attorney-General David Parker announced the appointment on Wednesday.
Justice Williams was appointed as a Judge of the High Court in 2008 and was also appointed Chief Judge of the Maori Land Court in 1999.
In 2000, he was appointed acting Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal, a position to which he was permanently appointed in 2004.
Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Justice Williams said his new position means "a new challenge and kind of a daunting one."
"I will find out what it really means when I turn up to work in the New Year and sit with two other judges, much brighter and clever than me.
When reflecting on his student days at the University of Victoria, Justice Williams said there were only two other Maori students in second year alongside him which is different to today.
"There are lots and lots of Maori law students now, hundreds in fact and dozens graduating every year.
"They are going from treaty issues to family to criminal to intellectual property to commercial.
"When I was a young lawyer we created a thing called the Maori Law Society for the first time and there might of been 30 of us... in the late 80's, early 90's. Now there is 500 or 600."
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