Patrick Mahony
New Zealand judge
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Sir Patrick Desmond Mahony KNZM is a former New Zealand judge. He served as principal judge of the Family Court from 1985 to 2004.
Sir Patrick Mahoney | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Principal Family Court judge | |
| In office 1985–2004 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Trapski |
| Succeeded by | Peter Boshier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patrick Desmond Mahony |
| Education | St Patrick's College, Silverstream |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Profession |
|
Biography
From 1950 to 1953, Mahony was educated at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, where he was proxime accessit to the dux in his final year.[1] He studied law at Victoria University of Wellington, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1968.[2] He worked for a Wellington law firm, primarily working in the area of corporate law.[3]
In 1978, Mahony was appointed to the bench as a stipendary magistrate (now called District Court judge) based in Auckland.[1] He was one of the original appointments to the Family Court of New Zealand when it was established in 1981, and in 1985 he became the principal judge of that court.[4] He was intimately involved in work that led to the Domestic Violence Act 1995, and in 1996 he established the Family Violence Taskforce.[4] Mahony retired as principal Family Court judge in 2004, and was succeeded in that role by Peter Boshier.[5] Mahony continued as a part-time acting District Court judge until 2010.[6][7][8][9]
Following his retirement from the Family Court, Mahony served as a member of the New Zealand Parole Board, and succeeded Anand Satyanand as chair of the confidential forum for former psychiatric patients.[3]
Mahony's wife, Shirley, Lady Mahony, died on 11 August 2023.[10]
Honours and awards
In 1990, Mahony received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[11] In the 2004 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the Family Court.[12] Following the reintroduction of titular honours by the New Zealand government in 2009, Mahony accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.[13] In 2016, Mahony was named old boy of the year by his old high school, St Patrick's College.[1]