A number of present and former members of the legal profession have been honoured in the New Year Honours List 2017.

David Arthur Rhodes Williams QC of Auckland becomes a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Sir David graduated from the University of Auckand Law School and Harvard Law School and was admitted in 1965.

Sir David worked at Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co as a litigation partner.

He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987, and sat as a Justice of the High Court of New Zealand from 1991-1994.

Sir David was Chief Justice of the Cook Islands from 2005 to 2010 and is currently President of the Court of Appeal of the Cook Islands.

The Hon Marion Anne Frater has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the judiciary.

She has worked in many areas including gender equality and served on family violence committees.

A Judge of the District Court from 1990, she sat on both the Family Court and the criminal jury trial jurisdictions and held the leadership role of Family Court Administrative Judge. She was appointed to the High Court bench in February 2003.

Emeritus Professor John Frederick Burrows ONZM, QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the State.

Professor Burrows is a law lecturer, author, former member of the Law Commission, and was co-chairman of the Panel which reviewed the New Zealand constitution in 2012 and 2013.

He was appointed the Chair of the New Zealand Flag Consideration Panel in February 2015.

The Hon Patrick John Keane has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the judiciary.

Justice Keane retired as a Judge of the High Court in 2016, having been appointed in 2003.

Justice Keane has been involved in New Zealand Law Society work as a member of various committees tasked with legal education, judgment writing courses and reviewing security issues in the Family Court.

Wellington  barrister David Howman has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport.

Mr Howman was Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency from 2003 until July 2016.

Peter Thomas Kiely, a senior partner at Kiely Thompson Caisley, has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to New Zealand's interests in the Pacific and the law.

Mr Kiely is an employment lawyer with extensive experience in industrial and labour relations. He is Chairman of the Pacific Development and Conservation Trust and the Pacific Cooperation Foundation.

Professor Donald Malcolm McRae has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the State and international law.

Professor McRae is a legal scholar and practitioner specialising in international law at the University of Ottawa, Canada who routinely advises governments, including the New Zealand Government, on international legal issues.

He was adviser to the New Zealand Government in connection with its successful maritime boundary negotiations with Australia between 2000 and 2005.

Auckland barrister Alan Dormer has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the law.

Mr Dormer has practised law in resource management, local government and liquor licensing.

He has contributed to several works on resource management and the sale of liquor. He was one of the foundation authors of Sale of Liquor and is the former legal editor of Local Government magazine.

Auckland barrister and arbitrator Derek Sinclair Firth has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to arbitration and education.

Mr Firth has represented New Zealand on the ICC International Court of Arbitration and is appointed to assess various cases by the World Bank. He is the former Chairman of the New Zealand National Committee of the International Court of Arbitration.

Hewitt Royden Humphrey QSM, JP has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a broadcaster and to the community.

Mr Humphrey has been an iconic voice in New Zealand radio broadcasting.

He is the longest serving judicial Justice of the Peace in the Wellington and Porirua District Courts.

Huei Min  Lim has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to New Zealand-Asia relations and governance.

Ms Lim is a partner with Auckland law firm Forest Harrison and businesswoman with extensive involvement in Asia-New Zealand commercial and cultural relations.

Judge Charles Stuart Blackie VRD has been appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order, for services to the judiciary and the community.

Judge Blackie was appointed to the District Court bench in 1998 and is now a senior District Court Judge sitting in the Manukau District Court.

Appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pitcairn Island in 2000, Judge Blackie oversaw the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004.

Richard Gerald McElrea of Christchurch has been appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services as a coroner and to Antarctic heritage.

Mr McElrea was a coroner for more than 20 years and contributed to the development of the Coronial Service.