David Carruthers (judge)
{{Short description|New Zealand judge (born 1940 or 1941)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Sir David Carruthers
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM|size=100%}}
| office = 6th Chair of the Independent Police Conduct Authority
| term_start = 2012
| term_end = 2017
| predecessor = Lowell Goddard
| successor = Colin Doherty
| office2 = 2nd Chair of the New Zealand Parole Board
| term_start2 = 2005
| term_end2 = 2012
| predecessor2 = Tony Ellis
| successor2 = Warwick Gendall
| office3 = 5th Chief District Court judge
| term_start3 = June 2001
| term_end3 = June 2005
| predecessor3 = Ron Young
| successor3 = Russell Johnson
| birth_name = David James Carruthers
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|76|2017|05|12}}
| birth_place = Pahiatua, New Zealand
| alma_mater = Victoria University of Wellington
}}
Sir David James Carruthers {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM}} (born {{Birth based on age as of date|76|2017|05|12|noage=1}}) is a long-serving member of the New Zealand legal community. He worked as a lawyer in Wellington, Pahiatua and Palmerston North, before being appointed as a Family Court Judge in 1985. In 2001, Carruthers was appointed as Chief District Court Judge, a position he held until 2005, when he was appointed as the chairman of the New Zealand Parole Board. In 2012, Carruthers joined the Independent Police Conduct Authority as its chairman. Since 2021 Carruthers has been the Independent Implementation Monitor to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Victorian Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.{{Cite news|date=2021-03-01|title=Former New Zealand judge appointed to oversee Lawyer X royal commission recommendations rollout|language=en-AU|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-01/victoria-appoints-former-nz-judge-to-oversee-lawyer-x-changes/13202890|access-date=2022-01-21}}
Early life and family
Carruthers was born in 1940 or 1941,{{cite news |url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/policing-the-police |title=The power of a police apology |date=12 May 2017 |first=Shane |last=Cowlishaw |work=Newsroom |access-date=3 June 2021}} and raised in Pahiatua, New Zealand.[http://www.confer.co.nz/wcioi/speakers.htm Speakers page] of the 10th World Conference of the International Ombudsman Institute He went on to study law, graduating LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1962. He completed his LLM with honours two years later.
Carruthers is married and has five children.
Career
=Legal practice=
Carruthers practised law in Wellington and Pahiatua for 20 years before moving to Palmerston North.[http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=68896 New Parole Board appointments announced], InfoNews 9 June 2011
=Judiciary=
In 1985, Carruthers was appointed as a judge in the Family Court in Wellington. Five years later he became a judge in the Youth Court, eventually being appointed as Principal Youth Court Judge. In 2000, Carruthers was asked to lead a Ministerial Taskforce on Youth Offending to come up with initiatives designed to reduce youth crime after Ministry of Justice figures showed that "over the 1990s, offending by 10- to 16-year-olds increased by 55%".Press release Steve Maharey, 3 October 2000
[http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ministerial-taskforce-youth-offending-0 Ministerial Taskforce on youth offending] In 2001, Carruthers was appointed as Chief District Court Judge, a position he held until 2005.
Carruthers also served as a judge on the High Court of Vanuatu.
=New Zealand Parole Board=
Carruthers was appointed Chairman of the New Zealand Parole Board in 2005,Press release, Michael Cullen 24 March 2005, [http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-parole-board-chair-appointed New Parole Board Chair Appointed] a position he held until 2012. He was head of the Board when it made the decision to release Graeme Burton from prison in July 2006. Six months later, Burton shot and killed Karl Kuchenbecker in the hills of Wainuiomata and injured a number of others.[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10421580 Tapu Misa: Odd chinks in the gloom], NZ Herald 31
=Independent Police Conduct Authority=
In April 2012, Parliament appointed Carruthers as the new chairman of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).[http://www.3news.co.nz/Judge-Carruthers-appointed-new-IPCA-chair/tabid/1607/articleID/249478/Default.aspx Judge Carruthers appointed new IPCA chair], TV3 News, 5 April 2012
=Independent Implementation Monitor=
On 1 March 2021 it was announced that Carruthers would be appointed to the role of Independent Implementation Monitor to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Victorian Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.{{Cite web|title=New Laws To Keep Royal Commission Reforms On Track {{!}} Premier of Victoria|url=http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-laws-keep-royal-commission-reforms-track|access-date=2022-01-21|website=www.premier.vic.gov.au|language=en}} Carruthers provided his first report to the Attorney-General in September 2021. This report provided information to the Attorney-General for their first report to Parliament on the progress of implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations which was tabled in the Victorian parliament on 30 November 2021.{{Cite web|title=Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants – Victorian Government Response and annual reporting {{!}} Victorian Government|url=http://www.vic.gov.au/royal-commission-management-police-informants-victorian-government-response-and-implementation-plan|access-date=2022-01-21|website=www.vic.gov.au|language=en}}
=Public speeches=
Carruthers has given speeches at numerous conferences and seminars both in New Zealand and overseas. For many years he has pushed for a more humane approach to dealing with criminal offenders advocating, in particular, for increased use of restorative and therapeutic justice approaches. He has held a number of public and charitable offices and recommended greater focus on education, and interventions for youth and families rather than locking up more and more offenders.[http://ycsni.co.uk/site/events/int_conf_biogs.htm Speaker Biographies] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130505152858/http://ycsni.co.uk/site/events/int_conf_biogs.htm |date=2013-05-05 }}, International Conference on Restorative Conferencing Tuesday March 2006, Belfast Speaking at a criminology conference in November 2012, Carruthers commented on the reduction in New Zealand's crime rate. He believes the drop may be due to efforts to reduce the number of teenagers being suspended or expelled from school.[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=10850418 Schools do their bit to cut crime] NZ Herald 28 November 2012
Honours and awards
In 1990, Carruthers was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=92}} In the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was appointed as a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the District Court.{{cite web |title=Queen's Birthday Honours List 2005 |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2005 |date=6 June 2005 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |accessdate=24 June 2019}} In 2009, following the reinstatement of titular honours by the New Zealand government, Carruthers accepted re-designation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.{{cite web|title=Special Honours List 1 August 2009 |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/special-honours-list-1-august-2009 |date=1 August 2009 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |accessdate=24 June 2019}}
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni
Category:New Zealand judges on the courts of Vanuatu
Category:District Court of New Zealand judges
Category:20th-century New Zealand lawyers
Category:Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit