Pat Downey

For the American football center see: Patrick Downey

Patrick James Downey (born Timaru 1 May 1927), OBE, MA(NZ), LL.B(NZ), Barrister and Solicitor, was Chief Human Rights Commissioner and Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of New Zealand (1978–1984), Director, Butterworths of New Zealand (a legal publisher) (1983–1993), Editor, NZ Law Journal (1983–1996) and General Editor, The Laws of New Zealand (1991–1995).

Background

Downey spent his childhood in Auckland. He was a first-day pupil at St Peter's College. He finished his education at Sacred Heart College in Ponsonby.[1]

Career

Downey was a practising lawyer with many other interests. At various times he has been a university tutor and a civil servant as well. He was appointed as Chief Human Rights Commissioner in 1977 on the coming into effect of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission Act 1977. He was also involved with New Zealand broadcasting. He was originally appointed to the board of the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in 1973. He was subsequently Chairman of Radio New Zealand and a member of the Broadcasting Council. He was for a time chairman of the committee responsible to the corporation for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Subsequently he was on the boards of the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand School of Dance. He was also a contributor and reviewer in the New Zealand Listener and Landfall.[2] He was editor of the New Zealand Law Journal for 13 years until 1996. During much of this time he was also Legal Publishing Director of Butterworths until retiring from that position in 1992 by which time he was engaged as the founding General Editor of The Laws of New Zealand.[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ "The First Twenty Five Years", St Peter's College Silver Jubilee 1939-1964, Christian Brothers Old Boys Assn, Auckland, 1964, p. 8.
  2. ↑ Derek Day, Managing Director, "New Editor for Law Journal", New Zealand Law Journal, March 1983, p. 63.
  3. ↑ Publisher's Announcement, "Editorship of the New Zealand Law Journal", New Zealand Law Journal, February 1996, p. 65.

References

  • Downey, Patrick James, New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001, p. 293.

External links

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