Sir James Peter Quilliam (23 March 1920 – 17 February 2004) was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He served as

Chief Justice of the Cook Islands The Chief Justice of the Cook Islands is the head of the Cook Islands judiciary. They preside over the High Court of the Cook Islands and serve as a member of the Cook Islands Court of Appeal. The office was established by the Cook Islands Co ...

and a judge of the

High Court of New Zealand The High Court of New Zealand ( mi, Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa) is the superior court of New Zealand. It has general jurisdiction and responsibility, under the Senior Courts Act 2016, as well as the High Court Rules 2016, for the administration ...

Early life and family

Born in

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

on 23 March 1920, Quilliam was educated at

Wanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School (formerly Wanganui Collegiate School; see here) is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding, secondary school in Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui region, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglican c ...

. He went on to study at

Canterbury University College The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was f ...

from 1938 to 1940, and

Victoria University College Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

from 1941 to 1943, graduating from the latter with an

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree in 1943. He saw military service as a lieutenant with the

2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

in Fiji between 1942 and 1943. In 1945, Quilliam married Ellison Jean Gill, and the couple went on to have three children.

Legal career

Quilliam was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1944, and practised law in

. Between 1955 and 1969, he was the New Plymouth Crown solicitor. Between 1969 and 1988, Quilliam served as a judge of the High Court (known as the Supreme Court at the time of his appointment). In the

1988 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1988 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...

, he was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

. Quilliam became the inaugural head of New Zealand's Police Complaints Authority (now the

Independent Police Conduct Authority The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA, ) is an independent civilian oversight body that considers complaints against the New Zealand Police and oversees their conduct. It derives its responsibilities and powers from thIndependent Police ...

) in 1989, and served in that capacity until 1992. In 1988, Quilliam became a judge of the Cook Islands High Court and Court of Appeal, and Chief Justice of the Cook Islands in 1995. He was also appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal of Fiji in 1992.

References

1920 births 2004 deaths Chief justices of the Cook Islands New Zealand judges on the courts of the Cook Islands New Zealand judges on the courts of Fiji New Zealand Knights Bachelor High Court of New Zealand judges Victoria University of Wellington alumni University of Canterbury alumni People from New Plymouth People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School New Zealand military personnel of World War II {{CookIslands-bio-stub