Justices - Supreme Court
The New Hampshire Supreme Court
Welcome to the New Hampshire Judicial Branch website. This site has been designed as a quick and accessible way to provide information regarding the court system. As the third branch of government, our mission is to preserve the rule of law and protect the rights and liberties guaranteed by the United States and New Hampshire Constitutions. Our courts are dedicated to providing accessible, prompt, and efficient forums for the fair and independent administration of justice, with respect for the dignity of all we serve.
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Chief Justice Gordon J. MacDonald
Senior Associate Justice James P. Bassett
Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi
Justice Patrick E. Donovan
Justice Melissa B. Countway
Chief Justice Gordon J. MacDonald
Gordon J. MacDonald is the 37th Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Following his confirmation by the Executive Council, he was sworn in by Governor Christopher Sununu on March 4, 2021. MacDonald served as New Hampshire’s attorney general from April 13, 2017 until March 4, 2021.
Senior Associate Justice James P. Bassett
Senior Associate Justice James P. Bassett spent more than 27 years as a trial and appellate lawyer in New Hampshire, specializing in complex commercial and civil litigation, First Amendment issues and land use cases. He was nominated to the Supreme Court by Governor John Lynch and, following confirmation by the Executive Council, Justice Bassett was sworn in as the 107th member of the court on July 19, 2012.
Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi
Anna Barbara “Bobbie” Hantz Marconi is the 108th Associate Justice on the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Following her confirmation by the Executive Council, she was sworn in by Governor Christopher Sununu on August 8, 2017. Justice Hantz Marconi is only the third woman to sit on the state’s highest court.
Associate Justice Patrick E. Donovan
Patrick E. Donovan is the 109th Associate Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Following his unanimous confirmation by the Executive Council, he was sworn in by Governor Christopher T. Sununu on May 8, 2018.
Associate Justice Melissa Countway
Melissa Beth Countway is the fourth woman and 111th Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. She joined the bench on January 2, 2024. Countway was previously nominated by Governor Sununu, and unanimously confirmed by the Executive Council, to the New Hampshire Circuit Court in 2017, where she served for over six years. She is the first Circuit Court judge to join the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
Recent retirements:
- Senior Associate Justice Gary E. Hicks - November 30, 2023
- Chief Justice Robert J. Lynn - August 23, 2019
- Chief Justice Linda S. Dalianis - April 1, 2018
- Associate Justice Carol Ann Conboy - July 1, 2017