Geoffrey Palmer (politician)
Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer KCMG AC KC PC (born 21 April 1942) is a New Zealand lawyer, legal academic, and former politician, who was a member of Parliament from 1979 to 1990. He served as the 33rd prime minister of New Zealand for a little over a year, from August 1989 until September 1990, leading the Fourth Labour Government. As minister of justice from 1984 to 1989, Palmer was responsible for considerable reforms of the country's legal and constitutional framework, such as the creation of the Constitution Act 1986, New Zealand Bill of Rights, Imperial Laws Application Act, and the State Sector Act. He served as president of the New Zealand Law Commission, from 2005 to 2010.
For other people with the same name, see Geoffrey Palmer (disambiguation).
Sir Geoffrey Palmer
Mike Moore
David Lange
Helen Clark
David Lange
David Lange
David Lange
Jim McLay
2, including Matthew Palmer
Law professor
Early life and education[edit]
Palmer was born in Nelson and attended Nelson Central School, Nelson Intermediate School and Nelson College. At Victoria University of Wellington, he studied both political science and law. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1965. After working for a time in Wellington, he attended the University of Chicago Law School, gaining a Juris Doctor in 1967. He moved from New Zealand to Iowa in August 1969 to become a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law.[1] In his first year, he taught the newly adapted small-section courses of American Property law, Conflict Resolution, and International law.[1] He also developed the curriculum for a Torts course to be taught during the second year of law school.[1] This was the first course of its kind in the United States and he was granted tenure in his second year of teaching at the college.[1] In 1972, he left to be a visiting professor at the University of Virginia College of Law.[1] Eventually, in 1974, he was appointed to a professorship of law at Victoria University of Wellington, bringing him back to New Zealand. At the 1975 general election, Palmer took part in the "Citizens for Rowling" campaign.[2]
Honours and awards[edit]
Palmer was appointed a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council in 1985.[26] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1991 New Year Honours,[27] and made an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia in the same year. In 1991 he was listed on the United Nations Global 500 Roll of Honour for his work on environmental issues. These included reforming resource management law. Palmer also sat as a Judge ad hoc on the International Court of Justice in 1995. He holds honorary doctorates from three universities. In 2008 Palmer was one of the first people appointed as Senior Counsel during the temporary change from Queen's Counsel in the Helen Clark Government.[28]