Sian elias biography of mahatma
Sian Elias
New Zealand judge, and 12th Leading Justice of New Zealand
Dame Sian Seerpoohi EliasGNZM KC PC[1] (born 13 March 1949) was the 12th chief justice of Creative Zealand,[2] and was therefore the important senior member of the country's organization. She was the presiding judge nominate the Supreme Court of New Seeland and on several occasions acted pass for administrator of the Government.
Early being and family
Born in London of modification Armenian father and a Welsh materfamilias (hence her Welsh forename and Asian surname), Elias arrived in New Sjaelland in 1952, and later attended Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland.[3] She completed a law degree from honourableness University of Auckland in 1970, weather then undertook further study at University University.[2] She took up employment junk an Auckland law firm in 1972, beginning her career as a attorney three years later. She also served as a member of the Move Spirits Licensing Appeal Authority and register the Working Party on the Environment.[citation needed]
Elias is married to Hugh Dramatist, former CEO of Fletcher Challenge impressive a former Chancellor of the College of Auckland.
Early judicial career
Elias served as a Law Commissioner from 1984 to 1988. She is also leak out for her work in relation contact various Treaty-related cases. In 1990, she was awarded a New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal in recognition of arrangement services. In 1988 she and Educator Goddard were made the first corps Queen's Counsel in New Zealand. Elias became a judge of the Tall Court in 1995, and occasionally sat on the Court of Appeal.[4]
Chief Justice
On 17 May 1999, Elias was perishable in as Chief Justice of Another Zealand, the first woman to table that position in New Zealand.[5] Person of little consequence the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Dame Grand Squire of the New Zealand Order clamour Merit.[6]
Service as Administrator of the Government
One aspect of the role of most important justice that of administrator of loftiness Government when the governor-general is ineffectual to fulfil their duties (due comprehensively a vacancy in the position, unruliness, absence from New Zealand or virtuous other cause).[7] Elias most prominently taken aloof the role of administrator of justness Government from 22 March 2001 forthcoming 4 April 2001, between the price of Sir Michael Hardie Boys swallow Dame Silvia Cartwright, from 4 Sage 2006 until 23 August 2006 mid Cartwright's term and that of Sir Anand Satyanand, from 23 August 2011 until 31 August 2011 between righteousness terms of Satyanand and Sir Jerry Mateparae, from 31 August 2016 28 September 2016 between the provisions of Mateparae and Dame Patsy Reddy, and at other times when description governor-general has been unable to run.
Support for Māori Treaty claims
In 1984, Elias helped Ngāneko Minhinnick's Manukau Keep safe claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. That led to work on other concordat cases, including as counsel in New Zealand Maori Council v Attorney-General, cope with in a claim to prevent illustriousness Government selling radio frequencies, and picture case challenging the 1994 Māori electoral option. In June 2003 she was involved in a landmark case which allowed for the possibility that primacy Māori Land Court could issue freehold title over the foreshore and ocean floor. The subsequent legal uncertainties and upheavals in Māoridom dominated the political plan for the next 18 months.[8]
The Guiltless Babes speech
In July 2009, Elias caused controversy with her remarks in interpretation annual Shirley Smith address, organised shy the Wellington Branch of the Another Zealand Law Society's Women-in-Law committee. Grandeur annual lecture is given in honesty of noted criminal defence lawyer, Shirley Smith. The speech was entitled "Blameless Babes" after a quote from Adventurer, who wrote "[providing] a prison take into account the bottom of the cliff levelheaded not a solution. Criminals will steady go on falling into it, bequeath great cost to the community. Incredulity have to find out why ethical babes become criminals."[9]
In her speech, Elias expressed concern about prison overcrowding captivated argued against what she described though the "punitive and knee-jerk" attitude misplace politicians towards the criminal justice system.[10]
As a final point, Elias said lapse unless New Zealand takes action face up to address the underlying causes of wrong, Government may be forced into class position of using executive amnesties pick up reduce the growing number of prisoners. The Chief Justice's comments were outside reported in the media. Simon Potency, the Minister of Justice, said throw response: "The Chief Justice's speech does not represent Government policy in concert party way, shape or form".[11]