Edmund Thomas (jurist)
Encyclopedia
He educated at Fielding Agricultural High School
and Victoria University of Wellington
graduating with a BA
and LLB
in 1956. He was admitted to the bar as a barrister
and solicitor
of the Supreme Court
(later the High Court) of New Zealand.
Following many years as a partner at New Zealand Law firm Russell McVeagh
, he became a barrister sole and was appointed a QC in 1981.
In 1989-1990 he was President of the New Zealand Bar Association
, and in 1990 he was appointed to the bench
of the High Court of New Zealand. In 1995 he was elevated to the Court of Appeal
. He retired from the appellate bench in 2001. As a judge some saw him as a proponent of judicial activism
. He was also noted for his frequent dissenting judgements, particularly after 1996.
In 2002 Thomas was Visiting Fellow at the Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University
, Canberra
. From August 2004 he has been serving a two year appointment as Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The University of Auckland
.
He was appointed a director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
in 2003, for a five year term.
Justice Thomas was brought out of retirement to become an acting Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand from 2005.
He was a noted author, his works including The Judicial Process: Realism, Pragmatism, Practical Reasoning and Principles (Cambridge University Press
, Cambridge
, 2005).
Thomas was made a member of the Privy Council
in 1996. In 2002 he was appointed a KNZM.
Feilding High School
Feilding High School is a co-ed Secondary School in Feilding, New Zealand.-Mission statement:We Provide Learning for LifeKia Toa, Kia NgakaunuiHave Courage, Desire Greatly...
and Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
graduating with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and LLB
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1956. He was admitted to the bar as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
of the Supreme Court
High Court of New Zealand
The High Court of New Zealand is a superior court of New Zealand. It was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court of New Zealand until 1980....
(later the High Court) of New Zealand.
Following many years as a partner at New Zealand Law firm Russell McVeagh
Russell McVeagh
Russell McVeagh is one of New Zealand's leading law firms. Along with Bell Gully and Chapman Tripp, it is considered to be one of the "big three" firms of New Zealand....
, he became a barrister sole and was appointed a QC in 1981.
In 1989-1990 he was President of the New Zealand Bar Association
New Zealand Bar Association
The New Zealand Bar Association is a voluntary association of lawyers in New Zealand who practise at the independent bar as barristers and Queen's Counsel....
, and in 1990 he was appointed to the bench
Bench (law)
Bench in legal contexts means simply the location in a courtroom where a judge sits. The historical roots of that meaning come from the fact that judges formerly sat on long seats or benches when presiding over a court...
of the High Court of New Zealand. In 1995 he was elevated to the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of New Zealand
The Court of Appeal of New Zealand, located in Wellington, is New Zealand’s principal intermediate appellate court. In practice, most appeals are resolved at this intermediate appellate level, rather than in the Supreme Court...
. He retired from the appellate bench in 2001. As a judge some saw him as a proponent of judicial activism
Judicial activism
Judicial activism describes judicial ruling suspected of being based on personal or political considerations rather than on existing law. It is sometimes used as an antonym of judicial restraint. The definition of judicial activism, and which specific decisions are activist, is a controversial...
. He was also noted for his frequent dissenting judgements, particularly after 1996.
In 2002 Thomas was Visiting Fellow at the Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. From August 2004 he has been serving a two year appointment as Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
.
He was appointed a director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is the central bank of New Zealand and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The Governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for New Zealand's currency and operating monetary policy. The Bank's current Governor is Dr. Alan Bollard...
in 2003, for a five year term.
Justice Thomas was brought out of retirement to become an acting Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand from 2005.
He was a noted author, his works including The Judicial Process: Realism, Pragmatism, Practical Reasoning and Principles (Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, 2005).
Thomas was made a member of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in 1996. In 2002 he was appointed a KNZM.