In 1986, he was appointed to the High Court. He was promoted to the Court of Appeal on 1 June 1997, and appointed to the Privy Council a year later. Tipping retired from the Supreme Court on 17 August 2012 On 20 September 2012 Tipping was appointed an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court.
In The New Year Honours 2006 Tipping was appointed a Distinguished Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit Foreign services as a Judge of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of New Zealand. In the Special Honours 2009 Tipping accepted the government offer to redesignate his DCNZM to a Knight Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit.
On 1 January 2004, Tipping became one of the initial members of the new Supreme Court of New Zealand.
