Stephen Franks (born 1950) in
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
, New Zealand is a commercial lawyer. At one time, he was chairman and Partner of the large firm
Chapman Tripp. Franks has been a member of two political parties. He previously served as a List MP for the right-wing
ACT New Zealand
ACT New Zealand, known simply as ACT (), is a right-wing, classical-liberal political party in New Zealand. According to former party leader Rodney Hide, ACT's values are "individual freedom, personal responsibility, doing the best for our natur ...
(Association of Consumers and Taxpayers). He then stood unsuccessfully for the
National Party for the
2008 general election. Franks is also a media commentator and writer on legal and commercial topics; and is married with three daughters and a son in their 30s.
Early life
Franks was first educated at Taihape College, and then at
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
where he studied Law (attained qualifications include BA/LLB (Hons) and Dip. Acc.). Franks was subsequently admitted to the bar in 1975.
Prior to entering Parliament in 1999 Franks' professional appointments included: being a member of the Securities Commission, Deputy chairman (1999–1999) of the Market Surveillance Panel of the
New Zealand Stock Exchange
New Zealand's Exchange (), known commonly as the NZX, is the national stock exchange for New Zealand and a publicly owned company. NZX is the parent company of Smartshares, and Wealth Technologies.
On 30 August 2020, the NZX had a total of 1 ...
having been a member of the MSP from its inception for nine years, and a Council member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.
Member of Parliament: 1999–2005
Franks entered Parliament in the , having been ranked in third place on the party list for the ACT Party, and coming fourth in electorate. This high ranking (above several sitting MPs) was indicative of ACT's high hopes for Franks at the time – as a prominent lawyer, he was generally regarded as a significant asset for the party. In he stood in which had been won by ACT's
Richard Prebble
Richard William Prebble (born 7 February 1948) is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996, becoming its leader from 19 ...
in . During his six years in Parliament he was ACT spokesman for Justice, Corrections, the Police and Commerce. He added Maori Affairs and Sport in the last three years.
When Prebble announced his retirement from politics in early 2004, Franks was one of the four candidates who sought to take his place as leader of ACT. Franks ran on a platform of restoring the party's core message. Despite receiving the endorsement of party founder Roger Douglas, he was eventually defeated by Rodney Hide. After Hide became leader of the ACT party on 13 June, Franks remained the party's spokesperson for justice.
2005 election
Franks lost his seat in Parliament in the 2005 general election when the total percentage of the popular vote for ACT reduced the ACT Party to two seats in Parliament. He subsequently returned to practising law, rejoining his old firm, Chapman Tripp as a consultant. He later left this firm to set up his own commercial and public law practice
Franks & Ogilvie
2008 election and after
Franks was
National Party candidate for for the
2008 general election, being number 60 on the National Party list. He lost the contest by 1904 votes to Labour's Grant Robertson.
His business interests presently centre around his public law practice, several company directorships, farming and manuka honey beekeeping.
References
Further reading
:*
*''Franks' contribution is the opening address'': "{U]pdate and overview of the commercial significance of
companies law, company law reform." ''This paper also appears in the following publication:''
:*
:*
*''Franks' contribution is the paper'': "Justice for all."
:*
*''Franks' contribution is the paper'': "How should
ACT treat the
Treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations
An international organization or international o ...
?"
:*
*''Franks' contribution was participation in a panel discussion entitled:'' "
scussing the principles of the
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
"
:*
*''Franks' contribution is the paper'': "Law reform and indigeniety: going native: what indigeniety should look like in the morning."
:*
:*
*''Franks' contribution is the paper'': "Liberals and the law."
External links
Personal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franks, Stephen
1950 births
Living people
ACT New Zealand MPs
20th-century New Zealand lawyers
Victoria University of Wellington alumni
New Zealand list MPs
Unsuccessful candidates in the 2005 New Zealand general election
Unsuccessful candidates in the 2008 New Zealand general election
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
21st-century New Zealand politicians
21st-century New Zealand lawyers