Chief Justice of the Cook Islands
Encyclopedia
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 Constitution.
The Chief Justice is appointed by the Queen's Representative
on the advice of the Executive Council. They must be qualified to sit on the High Court, meaning that they must have either served as a justice of the High Court of New Zealand
, Court of Appeal of New Zealand
, or Supreme Court of New Zealand
, or have practiced as a barrister
in New Zealand or a country with an equivalent legal system for at least seven years. When the position of Chief Justice is vacant, or the holder is absent or incapacitated, the senior judge of the High Court serves as Acting Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice also acts in place of the Queen's Representative if that position is vacant or the appointee is absent or unable to perform their duties.
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
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 Constitution.
The Chief Justice is appointed by the Queen's Representative
Queen's Representative
The Queen's Representative is the formal title given to the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of New Zealand, in the Cook Islands....
on the advice of the Executive Council. They must be qualified to sit on the High Court, meaning that they must have either served as a justice of the High Court of New Zealand
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....
, Court of Appeal of New Zealand
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...
, or Supreme Court of New Zealand
Supreme Court of New Zealand
The Supreme Court of New Zealand is the highest court and the court of last resort in New Zealand, having formally come into existence on 1 January 2004. The court sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It replaced the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, based in London...
, or have practiced 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...
in New Zealand or a country with an equivalent legal system for at least seven years. When the position of Chief Justice is vacant, or the holder is absent or incapacitated, the senior judge of the High Court serves as Acting Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice also acts in place of the Queen's Representative if that position is vacant or the appointee is absent or unable to perform their duties.
List of Chief Justices of the Cook Islands
This list is incomplete.- Gaven DonneGaven DonneSir Gaven John Donne, KBE, was a New Zealand-born former Chief Justice of Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu....
(1975 - 1982) - Graham SpeightGraham SpeightSir Graham Davies Speight was a New Zealand High Court judge. He served as the acting Queen's Representative in 1984....
(1982 - 1988) - Peter QuilliamPeter QuilliamSir Peter Quilliam is a former Chief Justice of the Cook Islands and Justice of the High Court of New Zealand.Quilliam graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1943...
- Laurie Greig
- David A R Williams (2005 - 13 May 2010)
- Thomas Crowley WestonThomas Crowley WestonThomas Crowley Weston QC is a New Zealand lawyer and justice of the High Court and Court of Appeal of the Cook Islands.Weston has a long history as a commercial litigator. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1999, and later that year was appointed to the Rules Committee, the body responsible for...
(from 13 May 2010)