AMINZ Fellow and High Court Judge, Hon Justice (John) Hugh Williams has been recognised as an additional Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services as a judge, in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Sir Hugh is current President of the Electoral Commission, having taken on the role shortly after his retirement from his position as Senior Puisne Judge at the Auckland High Court in September 2009, where he was the longest serving judge. He studied law at Victoria University of Wellington, graduating with an LLM (Hons), and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1988. Sir Hugh was appointed as a Justice of the High Court in 1997, after having previously been a Master of the High Court for several years.

Sir Hugh, now of Waitakere, was a Palmerston North City Councillor (from 1983 to 1989) and Chancellor of Massey University (from 1990 to 1997). He was closely involved with the Massey University Council for 20 years. He is a former President of the New Zealand Law Society, and for many years, chaired the Courthouse Design Committee – the body responsible for the oversight of design of new court buildings. Sir Hugh continues to appear as a judge at the Auckland High Court.