John Wallace (New Zealand judge)

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{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2016}}

Sir John Hamilton Wallace {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM|QC}} (9 September 1934{{Spaced ndash}}20 September 2012) was a judge of the High Court of New Zealand

Wallace was born in Auckland, and educated at King's College, Auckland, and Merton College, Oxford, graduating in 1957.{{cite book|editor1-last=Levens|editor1-first=R.G.C.|title=Merton College Register 1900-1964|date=1964|publisher=Basil Blackwell|location=Oxford|page=461}} He was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1958, and became a barrister the following year. Wallace married Elizabeth Goodwin in 1961 and they had two children.{{cite web|title=Sir John Wallace KNZM, QC, 1934 – 2012|url=http://my.lawsociety.org.nz/in-practice/people/obituaries/obituaries-list/sir-john-wallace-knzm-qc-1934-2012|publisher=New Zealand Law Society|access-date=13 March 2013|archive-date=25 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525045134/http://my.lawsociety.org.nz/in-practice/people/obituaries/obituaries-list/sir-john-wallace-knzm-qc-1934-2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Former Chief Human Rights Commissioner Sir John Wallace QC mourned|url=http://www.hrc.co.nz/2012/former-chief-human-rights-commissioner-sir-john-wallace-qc-dies|publisher=New Zealand Human Rights Commission|access-date=13 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307015851/http://www.hrc.co.nz/2012/former-chief-human-rights-commissioner-sir-john-wallace-qc-dies|archive-date=7 March 2013|df=dmy-all}} In 1984 Wallace was appointed Chief Human Rights Commissioner and in 1985 was appointed Chairman of the 1985–86 Royal Commission on the Electoral System which recommended MMP for electing Parliament.

In the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours, Wallace was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, in recognition of his services as a judge of the High Court.{{cite web |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 1997|date=2 June 1997 |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-1997 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=16 July 2020}}

Wallace died in Auckland on 20 September 2012.

References