Our Profession, Our People
LawTalk 880 · 29 January 2016
Our Profession Our People In the British New Year’s Honours, Professor Paul Rishworth was made a Member of the British Empire as Attorney-General of Pitcairn Islands for legal services.
New Year’s Honours The following members and former members of the legal profession were awarded honours in the New Year’s Honours List: Justice Terence Arnold, of Wellington, was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the judiciary. Justice Pamela And rews, of Auckland, was made a Companion of the Justice Arnold New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the judiciary. Justice Alan MacKenzie, of Wellington, was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the judiciary. John Chadwick, of Rotorua, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and the law. Colin Smith, of Greymouth, was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community. Conrad Smith, of Pau, France, was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby. Gerard Toebes, of Wellington, was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to basketball. Judge Leslie Atkins QC, of Palmerston North, was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to the judiciary. Heta Hingston, of Rotorua, was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to Māori and the judiciary. Judge David Holderness, of Christchurch, was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to the judiciary and the community. Judge John Strettell, of Queenstown, was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to the judiciary. Wayne Moultrie, of Mr Maunganui, was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community.
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Paul Rishworth
Appointments Auckland Queen’s Counsel Paul Davison has been appointed a High Court Judge. Justice Davison graduated with an LLB from Auckland University in 1975 and was employed at Auckland firm Glaister Ennor & Kiff. In 1977 he joined Keegan Alexander Tedcastle & Friendlander, becoming a partner in 1978. Justice Davison went to the independent bar in 1990 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1996. As a barrister sole Justice Davison had an extensive criminal defence practice and was engaged by the Crown to assist in a number of high profile murder trials. He also acted in a variety of civil proceedings. Justice Davison has been a member of the Auckland Crown Solicitor’s Prosecution Panel since 1981 and is a contributing author to Adams on Criminal Law. He will sit in Auckland. Auckland lawyer Richard McIlraith has been appointed an acting District Court Judge with a jury warrant to be based in Manukau. Admitted in 1988, Mr McIlraith has practised at Russell McVeagh since 1993 and has been a partner since 1995. He is currently chair of the partnership. In recent years Mr McIlraith has practised primarily in the employment law area but has also been involved in general commercial litigation, health and safety, immigration, family and criminal law matters. Judge McIlraith will be sworn in on 24 February in Auckland. Auckland barrister Emma Parsons has been appointed an acting District Court Judge with a Family Court warrant to be based in Tauranga. Ms Parsons has been a family law barrister on
her own account since 2001. She has regularly been appointed by the Family Court, the High Court and The Hague Central Authority to represent children, undertaking amicus curiae and counsel to assist roles. Judge Parsons will be sworn in on 15 March in Auckland. Douglas White QC, Donna Buckingham and Helen McQueen have been appointed as new members of the Law Commission, each for a term of five years. When announcing the appointments, Justice Minister Amy Adams also acknowledged the contributions of the two outgoing Law Commissioners, Judge Peter Boshier and Dr Geoffrey McLay. Justice White retired as a Judge of the Court of Appeal in September 2015. Ms Buckingham is an Associate Professor of Law at Otago University. Ms McQueen has been a consultant with Chapman Tripp since 2005 and before that was a partner of that firm from 1997. The Arbitrators and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ) has a new President, Bankside Chambers barrister, John Walton. Mr Walton, a construction law specialist, arbitrator, Construction Contracts Act adjudicator and commercial mediator, John Walton served three years on the AMINZ Council and was previously Vice-President. His roles have included being chair of AMINZ International. Christchurch lawyer Sue McCormack has been re-elected Pro-Chancellor of Canterbury University for a third term. A partner in Mortlock McCormack Law, Ms McCormack has been a member of the University Council since 2010 and is also a Director of the Public Trust. Film and Literature Board of Review member Kate Davenport QC has been appointed President of the Board for Continued on page 8...