Bruce Palmer (judge)

Bruce Palmer
QSO
Born Bruce Alan Palmer
(1935-11-24)24 November 1935
Napier, New Zealand
Died 3 April 2017(2017-04-03) (aged 81)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Occupation Lawyer, judge
Spouse(s) Gillian Jean Palmer

Bruce Alan Palmer QSO (24 November 1935 – 3 April 2017) was a New Zealand lawyer and judge who sat on the bench of various courts for 27 years.

Born in Napier on 24 November 1935, Palmer moved with his family to Wellington when he was six years old.[1] He was educated at St Patrick's College, Wellington, from 1949 to 1953,[2] captaining the school's 1st XV rugby team.[1] He went on to study law at Victoria University College, graduating LLB in 1959.[3]

After a short period as a law clerk in Wellington, Palmer was appointed as a prosecutor in Fiji, rising to become acting solicitor-general before returning to New Zealand in about 1965. He joined Bell Gully as a litigation lawyer, becoming a partner of that firm in 1971. Moving to Christchurch, Palmer was appointed to the bench of the Magistrates Court (now the District Court) judge in 1975. He sat on the bench of the Family Court after its establishment in 1981. In 1988 he was one of the inaugural appointments as a judge of the Labour Court (renamed the Employment Court in 1991). Palmer retired as a judge in 2003.[1]

In the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours Palmer was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.[4] In 2012 he was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice by the Roman Catholic Church, in recognition of his many years of work in Catholic secondary school education, and his service as chairman and Bishop's delegate for the Sexual Abuse Protocol Committee in the Christchurch diocese.[2]

Palmer died at his home in Christchurch on 3 April 2017.[1][5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Butcher, Nick (2017). "Judge Bruce Palmer, 1935–2017". New Zealand Law Society. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Old boys in the news" (PDF). The Cornerstone. St Patrick's College Foundation (9): 8. December 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: P". Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2003". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 June 2003. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Judge Bruce Palmer death notice". Dominion Post. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
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