[2] She described the difficulty of taking maternity leave, and feeling pressured to come back afterwards, saying "It wasn’t the expectation that if you had children, you would be able to work".

[2][4] From 1994 to 2002 Frater represented the District Court on the New Zealand Law Society Continuing Legal Education Committee.

[4] Frater has advised on gender equity and family violence issues, and was a member of the organising committee for the 1993 International Conference of Women Judges.

[3] In 2007 Frater was appointed as Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Parole Board, and returned to Wellington.

[4] In the 2017 New Year Honours, Frater was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the judiciary.