The Right Honourable Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias, GNZM, (born March 12, 1949) is the Chief Justice of New Zealand, and is therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She is the presiding judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. As chief justice of the Supreme Court, she also acts as Administrator of Government (acting governor-general) when the position of governor-general is vacant. She has held this position twice, first from March 22, 2001 until April 4, 2001, and again from August 4, 2006 until August 23, 2006. The Right Honourable (abbreviated The Rt. ... Companions Badge of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of chivalry established on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Principal Companion (PCNZM) (formerly Knight or Dame... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... The Chief Justice of New Zealand is the senior judge of the High Court of New Zealand, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. ... In law, the judiciary or judicature is the system of courts which administer justice and provide a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... The Supreme Court of New Zealand is the highest court of appeal in New Zealand, having formally come into existence at the beginning of 2004, and sitting for the first time on 1 July 2004. ... An Administrator in Commonwealth constitutional practice is a person who, while acting in a gubernatorial capacity, is not accorded a gubernatorial title. ...

Born in London in the United Kingdom of an Armenian father, Dame Sian gained a law degree from Auckland University in 1970, and then undertook further study at Stanford University. She took up employment with an Auckland law firm in 1972, beginning her career as a barrister three years later. She also served as a member of the Motor Sports Licensing Appeal Authority and of the Working Party on the Environment. She served as a Law Commissioner from 1984 to 1988. Dame Sian is also known for her work in relation to various Treaty-related cases. She was made a Queen's Counsel in 1988, and in 1990, she was awarded a commemorative medal in recognition of her services. London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... The University of Auckland is New Zealands largest research-based university. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Stanford redirects here. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... English barrister A barrister is a lawyer found in most common law jurisdictions who principally, but not exclusively, represents litigants as their advocate before the courts of that jurisdiction. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi) was signed on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. ... The official portrait of former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell, who was made a Queens Counsel as Justice Minister in 1992. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Dame Sian became a judge of the High Court in 1995, and occasionally sat on the Court of Appeal. On 17 May 1999, she was sworn in as Chief Justice, the first woman to hold that position in New Zealand. When the government announced plans for the establishment of a Supreme Court (replacing the old links to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council), it was decided that Dame Sian, as Chief Justice, would automatically be appointed to the new body. The Supreme Court commenced sitting in the middle of 2004. The High Court of New Zealand was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court until 1980. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Court of Appeal of New Zealand, located in Wellington, is New Zealand’s principal intermediate appellate court. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. ...

Dame Sian is married to Hugh Fletcher, currently Chancellor of Auckland University. Hugh Fletcher is the current Chancellor of the University of Auckland. ... The University of Auckland is New Zealands largest research-based university by student numbers. ...

 

Chief Justice of New Zealand
William Martin | George Arney | James Prendergast | Robert Stout | Charles Skerrett | Michael Myers | Humphrey Francis O'Leary | Harold Barrowclough | Richard Wild | Ronald Davison | Thomas Eichelbaum | Sian Elias