Eddie Durie

Sir Edward "Eddie" Taihakurei Durie, KNZM (born 18 January 1940) is co-Chair of the Māori Council and was the second Māori appointed as a Justice of the High Court of New Zealand after Justice Lowell Goddard, and is regarded as leading legal expert on the Treaty of Waitangi. He is of Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Raukawa descent; John Mason Durie is his grandfather.^[1]

Early life and education

He graduated with a BA and an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1964. He holds honorary doctorates from Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University and the University of Waikato.

Career

Durie was the Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court from 1980–1998 and Chairman of the Waitangi Tribunal from 1980–2004 and Law Commissioner. In 1998 he was appointed to the High Court. He retired from the High Court in 2004, at which point he was the longest-serving member of the New Zealand judiciary.

In the 2008 New Years Honours list Durie was appointed a Distinguished Companions of New Zealand Order of Merit which was later converted to Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.^[2]

In 2009, Durie was appointed by Attorney-General Chris Finlayson to chair the Ministerial taskforce on the Foreshore and Seabed Act.^[3]

Personal life

Durie is married to prominent Maori lawyer Donna Hall. ^[4]

He is the younger brother of renowned Māori academic, Professor Sir Mason Durie.

On 13 April 2002, Durie's 8 month old adopted daughter Kahurautete ('Kahu') was kidnapped at gunpoint in Lower Hutt and held for $3 million ransom.^[5] Kahu was found by police 8 days later, 660 kilometres (410 mi) away in Taumarunui.^[6] Kidnapper Terence Ward Traynor was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment and released after serving 7 years.^[7] The kidnapping was the subject of the 2010 film Stolen: The Baby Kahu Story in which Eddie Durie was played by George Henare.^[8]

References

External links

• Rangitane Iwi
• 'Our Team' - New Zealand Māori Council