Patrick Mahony

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
KNZM
2nd Principal Family Court judge
In office
1985–2004
Preceded byPeter Trapski
Succeeded byPeter Boshier
Personal details
Born
Patrick Desmond Mahony
EducationSt Patrick's College, Silverstream
Alma materVictoria University of Wellington
Profession
  • Lawyer
  • judge

Biography

From 1950 to 1953, Mahoney 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]

References
  1. "St Pat's old boy of the year 2016". Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. April 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  2. "Roll of graduates 1968 (January to June)". Calendar 1969 (PDF). Victoria University of Wellington. p. 461. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  3. "Old boy of the year". St Patrick's College Old Boys' Association. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  4. Thompson, Wayne (31 December 2003). "New Year honours: Patrick Mahony". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  5. "New principal judge named in Family Court". The New Zealand Herald. 3 February 2004. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  6. "Acting District Court judge appointed". New Zealand Gazette. No. 173. 18 December 2003. p. 4772. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  7. "Acting District Court judges appointed". New Zealand Gazette. No. 42. 11 May 2006. p. 1121. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  8. "Acting District Court judges appointed". New Zealand Gazette. No. 76. 24 April 2008. p. 2114. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  9. "Acting District Court judges appointed". New Zealand Gazette. No. 20. 19 February 2009. p. 472. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  10. "Lady Mahony obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  11. Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 238. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  12. "New Year honours list 2004". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2003. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  13. "Special honours list 1 August 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
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