Judith Potter
Dame Judith Marjorie Potter, DNZM, CBE (born 1942), is a former High Court Judge in New Zealand.
Career
Potter graduated from the University of Auckland in 1965, and went on to become a senior partner at law firm, Kensington Swan. She is the former President of the Auckland District Law Society and was the first woman president of the New Zealand Law Society.[1]
On 20 March 1997 Potter was appointed as a judge of the High Court of New Zealand[1][2] Potter has presided over several high-profile cases in her 15 years on the bench.[3] One such case which prompted a mild rebuke from the United Nations Human Rights Committee[4] was the criminal conviction of twelve-year-old Emelysifa Jessop for aggravated robbery. In 1998, Potter convicted and sentenced the girl to 4 years. When this conviction was overturned on grounds the judge had convicted Miss Jessop despite her not entering a plea, Potter presided over the retrial and sentenced the girl to 4 years and eight months.[5]
Her previous roles include director of the Electricity Corporation, a director of the New Zealand Guardian Trust Company, chairwoman of the Broadcasting Standards Authority and a member of the Securities Commission.[3]
In 2000 Potter issued an influential ruling balancing the rights of those alleging harassment and the rights of freedom of expression in Beadle v Allen.[6] In 2007 Potter jailed website editor Vince Siemer for his continual breaches of a High Court injunction.[7][8] Potter has been criticised in the media for sentences which were considered excessively lenient.[9][10]
On 31 December 2012 Potter retired from the bench in New Zealand[11] and accepted an appointment to the High Court of the Cook Islands.[12]
Honours, titles and style
In the New Year Honours 1994 Potter was appointed a Commander of the The Order of the British Empire for services to the legal profession.[13] and became Judith Potter Template:Post-nominals/NZ
On 20 March 1997 on appointment to the High Court of New Zealand became The Honourable Justice Judith Potter Template:Post-nominals/NZ.
On 27 August 2012 Potter was granted the right to retain the title of "The Honourable" for life in recognition of her service as a Judge of the High Court of New Zealand.[14]
In the New Year Honours 2013 Potter was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.[15] and became The Honourable Justice Dame Judith Potter DNZM, CBE.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Justice Judith Potter - LLB. The University of Auckland.
- ↑ "Appointment of Judge of the High Court" (20 March 1997) 25 "The New Zealand Gazette 617.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dickison, Michael (31 December 2012). "New Year Honours: Dame Judith Potter". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ↑ Emelysifa Jessop v New Zealand Communication No. 1758/2008, 21 April 2008
- ↑ background, Jessop v Queen SC8/2006 [2007] NZSC 96, 30.11.07
- ↑ Beadle v Allen [2000] NZFLR 639 at 662 para 36-40
- ↑ Stiassny v Siemer CIV-2005-404-1808, 30 March 2011
- ↑ "Stoush with Stiassny ends in jail". Stuff.co.nz. 20 July 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ↑ Andrew Koubaridis (30 September 2009). "Road-rage sentence shocks family". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ↑ Isaac Davison (3 June 2010). "Killer's sentence 'makes mockery of young man's life'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ↑ "Appointment of Acting Judge of High Court" (4 October 2012) 122 "The New Zealand Gazette" 3449 at 3484.
- ↑ "Potter: Honour highlights women's role". Auckland Now. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 53528. p. 33. 30 December 1993.
- ↑ "Retention of the Title ‘The Honourable’" (6 September 2012) 110 The New Zealand Gazette 3125 at 3150.
- ↑ "New Year Honours List 2013". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.