New Zealand Law Society - Obituaries

Obituaries

Justice Neil William Williamson, 1938 – 1996

By Brian Fay Neil Williamson, High Court Judge, born 1938 at Christchurch, died 15 February 1996 at Auckland, aged 57. Catholic, Husband, Father, Friend, Lawyer, Judge – a few words which give some insight into the man, Neil William Williamson, whose untimely death occurred recently. Neil, as he was known and loved by…
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Charles Pierrepont Hutchinson QSO, MBE, QC, 1906 - 1997

Charles Pierrepont Hutchinson – believed to be the country’s oldest Queen’s Counsel – died in Auckland on 5 August 1997 aged 91. Born in Wiltshire in the United Kingdom, Mr Hutchinson immigrated to New Zealand in 1925, working as a farmer until he became a law student in 1936. Admitted to…
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Sir Alec Leslie Haslam, 1904 - 1997

Former New Zealand Law Society Vice-President (1954-56) and Council member, Sir Alec Haslam, who died in Christchurch in April 1997, aged 93, was a judge of the old Supreme Court from 1957 until his retirement in 1976. He was knighted in 1974. Born in Carterton on 10 February 1904, Sir Alec…
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John Fowler, 1966 - 1998

By Rebecca Kitteridge John Fowler, a senior associate at Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Wellington, died on 20 July 1998 at the age of 32, after a long illness. John attended St Patrick’s College in Wellington from 1979 to 1983, at which time he developed his love of language, logic and argument.…
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Tuarangi Michael Junior, 1970 - 1998

By Marie Dyhrberg When Tuarangi Michael Junior – Tua – died at Auckland Hospital on 12 October, one month before his 28th birthday, following a tragic accident, the profession lost a promising young lawyer and a superb role model. Tua graduated from Waitakere College in 1988 and went on to achieve a…
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Chief Judge Jack Raymond Poppleton Horn, 1917 - 1999

By Chief Judge TG Goddard It is with great sadness that the judges of the Employment Court learned of the passing of their former leader in the Labour Court, the late Chief Judge Jack Horn. He retired from the Labour Court as its Chief Judge on 31 August 1989, returning for a…
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Martyn Finlay QC, 1912 - 1999

The man who created what is now known as the Disputes Tribunal and instigated the duty solicitor scheme, fomer Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Dr Martyn Finlay QC, died in January 1999 aged 87. Allan Martyn Finlay was born in Dunedin on 1 January 1912. He attended Otago Boys' High School…
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Maurice James O’Brien QC, 1929 - 2000

Maurice O’Brien, who edited the New Zealand Law Reports from 1991 to 1998, died in Wellington on 13 December 2000 aged 71. Born in Wellington on 21 July 1929, he was educated at St Patrick's College, Silverstream before attending Victoria University College in Wellington where he graduated LLB in 1952. While…
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John Platts-Mills QC, 1906 – 2001

Described, in relation to his political views, by The Independent newspaper in England as “a teenage revolutionary who never grew up”, barrister John Platts-Mills QC died on 30 October 2001 in England aged 95. The London-based New Zealand Lawyers’ Society held a memorial service for him on 24 January 2002. Born…
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Sir David Beattie, 1924 - 2001

Former Governor-General and Supreme Court judge Sir David Beattie died suddenly at his home in Upper Hutt on 4 February 2001. New Zealand Law Society President Christine Grice said Sir David was highly regarded within the legal profession. He was born in Sydney in 1924 but grew up in Auckland. After serving…
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Justice Evan Prichard CBE, 1916 – 2001

By Colin Bright Justice Evan Prichard CBE, who died recently, is remembered as a fine lawyer and as a courteous, considerate, patient and fair judge, with a keen intellect and sound judgement. Born in Feilding in 1916, his secondary schooling was at Otago Boys’ High School and he graduated in law from…
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Sir Thaddeus McCarthy ONZ, 1907 - 2001

A former President of the Court of Appeal, Sir Thaddeus McCarthy died in Wellington on 11 April 2001 aged 93. He was born in Napier on 24 August 1907 and educated at St Bede's College in Christchurch. Orphaned by the age of 14, extended family support enabled "Thaddy" to gain an…
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Sandor (“Alexander”) Szakats, 1915 - 2001

Former Otago University law professor Alexander Szakats died on 1 July 2001 aged 86. Dr Szakats was born in Budapest on 14 February 1915. He came to New Zealand as a refugee in 1951 after escaping from a Yugoslavian detention camp where he had been detained on suspicion of spying. Dr Szakats…
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Sir Jack Rumbold QC, 1920 - 2001

Sir Jack Rumbold QC, who died in London in December 2001 aged 81, had a career which included being a principal legal adviser to British colonies gaining independence in Africa and president of the industrial tribunals of England and Wales. Born in Reefton in 1920, he graduated LLB from Canterbury University…
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