New Zealand Law Society - Obituaries

Obituaries

Frank Wong, 1950 – 1992

Frank Wong, an experienced international negotiator for the Ministry of External Relations and Trade, has died in Wellington aged 41. Born in Gisborne, Frank attended Gisborne Boys’ High School, and graduated LLB(Hons) from Auckland University in 1973. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1974, and began in the ministry’s Legal…
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Dr John Lochiel Robson CBE, 1909 – 1993

By Sir Kenneth Keith Dr John Robson CBE, Secretary for Justice between 1960 and 1970 and Visiting Fellow and Director of Criminological Studies at Victoria University of Wellington from 1972 to 1980, died in Wellington on 17 September 1993, aged 84. He is survived by his wife Katherine and their four…
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Maxwell Rae Grierson OBE, 1900 - 1994

The elder statesman of New Zealand’s legal fraternity, Maxwell Rae Grierson, OBE, died in Auckland on 10 June 1994 aged 93. A founding partner of Simpson Grierson Butler White, he was the Commonwealth’s oldest legal practitioner and was in his office just a week before his death working on client business. He…
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Sir Guy Richardson Powles, KBE, 1905 - 1994

By Sue Richards The successful grafting of the Scandinavian Ombudsman concept on to New Zealand’s Westminster system of government can fairly be attributed to the personal skills and qualities of New Zealand’s first Ombudsman, Sir Guy Powles. Under his wise stewardship from 1962 until his retirement in 1977, the role of the…
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John David Rabone, 1938 - 1995

High Court Judge John Rabone died in Timaru Hospital late last month. He had been ill since suffering a heart attack earlier that month while on circuit in Timaru. Justice Rabone had been a District Court judge in the Wellington region until October 1994 when he was appointed to the High…
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Justice Paul Temm, 1931 - 1997

Justice Paul Temm, 1931 - 1997

Justice Paul Temm.High Court judge and former New Zealand Law Society Vice President Justice Paul Temm died in Auckland last month aged 66. Appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1971 he appeared on six occasions before the Privy Council. His electoral petition in 1978 which won Winston Peters the Hunua seat, effectively…
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Judge Philip Evans, 1947 - 1997

By Leslie Evans Judge Philip Evans died on 6 August 1997, aged 50 years. Judge Evans was resident at the Rotorua District Court. When off the bench he exercised a passion for aviation. Philip Evans had practised law in Wellington. As a partner at Gault Mitchell & Co he was prominent in…
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Laurence Michael O’Reilly, 1942 – 1998

By Ian Cameron Laurence Michael O’Reilly, who died on 15 January 1998, was a practising barrister and solicitor until appointed the Commissioner for Children in 1994. After his primary and secondary school education in his home town of Timaru, he attended the University of Canterbury, studying part-time and completing his law…
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Justice Bradley Harle Giles, 1944 – 1999

By John Katz QC It is always a tragedy when a sitting judge of the High Court dies in office. It is all the more so when that happens just two years after appointment. The late Justice Giles was appointed to the High Court bench on 6 March 1997 after two years…
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Stuart Ennor, 1926 – 1999

This obituary is based on the eulogy Bob Narev gave at Stuart Ennor’s funeral. New Zealand Law Society counsel and legal adviser for the last 20 years, Stuart Ennor died last month in Auckland aged 73. Born in Auckland, Stuart Ennor began part-time studies in law when he was 16, qualifying at…
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Martin Strong, 1939 – 2000

Founder and chair of REAL, Martin Strong, died unexpectedly on 18 November 2000 aged 61 – ironically the day after the Minister of Justice announced the long-awaited reforms to conveyancing, real estate selling and the Law Practitioners Act. Martin Strong studied law at Victorial University of Wellington and worked for law…
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Ross Penlington, 1931 - 2001

Former Christchurch lawyer and judge in Hong Kong, Ross Penlington, has died in Taupo aged 70. Born in Christchurch he graduated LLB from the University of Canterbury and practised in his father’s (Cedric Penlington) firm, Harper Pascoe & Co. In 1959 he went to Western Samoa as a legal officer and…
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Haddon Gilbert, 1932 - 2001

Former Family Court Judge Haddon Gilbert has died in Rotorua aged 69. Mr Gilbert graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 1955 and practised law in New Plymouth until he was appointed a stipendiary magistrate in 1976. In 1985 he moved to Rotorua as a Family Court Judge until his retirement in…
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John Frederick (“Jack”) Northey, 1920 - 1983

Dean of the faculty of law at Auckland University, Professor John Frederick Northey, who died at the age of 63 in October 1983, gave more than three decades of service to the law school he joined as senior lecturer in 1951. The man who in 1971 became the first person to…
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