Deputy Chief Judge Caren Fox (née Wickliffe) was appointed in 2000 as a judge of the Māori Land Court resident in the Tairawhiti and Waiariki districts. She was also appointed as an Alternate Environment Court judge in 2009. Prior to her first appointment as a judge, she had been a lecturer in law at Victoria University, and a Senior Lecturer in law and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Waikato. In addition, she acted as legal counsel for Treaty claimants and Māori land clients.  She was appointed Deputy Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court in February 2010.

A specialist in international human rights, Judge Fox was a Harkness Fellow to the USA from 1991 to 1992 and a Pacific Fellow in Human Rights Education employed by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation 1997-1999. For her work in human rights she won the NZ Human Rights Commission 2000 Millennium Medal.

Judge Fox was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2000. She has been a presiding officer for the Aquaculture claims, the Te Arawa Mandate and Settlement claims, the Haane Manahi claim and the Central North Island Stage 1 claims. She is currently the presiding officer for the Central North Island Stage 2 claims.