Justice John Wallace retires

The Minister of Justice, Hon D.A.M. Graham, today expressed the Government's appreciation of Hon Justice John Wallace's outstanding contribution to the law.

Justice Wallace retires tomorrow as President of the Electoral Commission and as a Judge of the High Court. He retired as Deputy President and Acting President of the Law Commission earlier this year.

Mr Graham said Justice Wallace had had a distinguished career with a long-standing involvement in law reform, including a number of high profile commissions and committees.

He chaired the Royal Commission on the Electoral System which recommended many changes to electoral law, including the new proportional system under which New Zealand's first MMP election has just been held.

He was a member of the Contracts and Commercial Law Reform Committee from 1974 to 1985, the work of which resulted in a number of statutes reforming the law of contract. He was a member of the Royal Commission on the Courts whose report in 1978 resulted in major changes to the court system, including the creation of the High, District and Family Courts.

He was from 1989 until this year a member of the Courts Consultative Committee which has an oversight role in the administration of the court system. In 1994 he was a member of the Court Services Review Committee.

He chaired the Equal Opportunities Tribunal from1978 to 1982 and the Human Rights Commission from 1984 to 1989.

Justice Wallace was appointed to the High Court in 1982 after practising as a QC in Auckland specialising in civil and commercial litigation. He was President of the Auckland Law Society in 1980 and Vice President of the NZ Law Society in 1981.

Educated at Auckland University and Merton College, Oxford, Justice Wallace was called to the English Bar, Grays Inn, in 1958. He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand the following year.