Richard Wild (judge)

Summary

Sir Herbert Richard Churton Wild GBE KCMG QC (20 September 1912 – 22 May 1978) was the ninth Chief Justice of New Zealand.

Sir Richard Wild
9th Chief Justice of New Zealand
In office
18 January 1966 – 20 January 1978
Nominated byKeith Holyoake
Appointed bySir Bernard Fergusson
Preceded byHarold Barrowclough
Succeeded byRonald Davison
Personal details
Born
Herbert Richard Churton Wild

(1912-09-20)20 September 1912
Blenheim, New Zealand
Died22 May 1978(1978-05-22) (aged 65)
Wellington, New Zealand
Relatives

Family edit

Wild was born in Blenheim in 1912.[1] His father, Leonard Wild, was at that time science teacher at Marlborough High School.[2] He attended Feilding Agricultural High School. His sister Dora later married the jurist John White.[3] His son, John Wild, was a judge at the High Court and then the Court of Appeal.[4]

Chief justice edit

He famously decided the case of Fitzgerald v Muldoon in 1976.[citation needed]

Wild was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1977. He resigned as Chief Justice in early 1978 and died shortly after.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Spiller, Peter. "Wild, Herbert Richard Churton". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  2. ^ Renwick, William. "Wild, Leonard John". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Hon Sir John Charles White MBE, 1911–2007". New Zealand Law Society. December 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  4. ^ "From judge's bench to woodworking bench – dovetailing into retirement". Stuff. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of New Zealand
1966–1978
Succeeded by