Kenneth Headifen, a former Christchurch and Nelson District Court Judge, died at his Nelson home in December 1992 aged 71.

At the time of his retirement in 1987, Judge Headifen, QSO, was the longest-serving of all District Court judges, having been on the bench 24 years.

Wellington-born and educated, Mr Headifen practised law for 14 years in Masterton, was a member of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, and was offered a position as a magistrate in 1963.

He spent 12 years on the bench in Christchurch before being transferred to Nelson in 1973 as the Nelson-Marlborough circuit magistrate.

He is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

This obituary was first published in LawTalk 386, 8 February 1993, page 3.