In his recent book Dr
Morris explores James Prendergast the man, the lawyer, and the judge. This book
provides fascinating insights into different parts of the nineteenth-century
British Empire and, in particular, colonial Wellington, featuring bitter feuds,
ground-breaking judgments and personal tragedy. It finally provides the full
story behind the name that every New Zealand law student knows.
James Prendergast is
the most infamous figure in New Zealand’s legal history, known mainly for his
condemnation of the Treaty of Waitangi as “a simple nullity” in 1877. But
during his lifetime Prendergast was a highly respected lawyer and judge. He was
arguably New Zealand’s dominant legal professional from 1865 to 1899, and his
good reputation remained intact until the 1980s, when the Treaty of Waitangi
finally returned to the centre of New Zealand political life.
The more the
Treaty has been celebrated, the more Prendergast has been condemned. Who was
this legal villain? Was he really a villain at all? His comprehensive
biography charts Prendergast’s life from his upbringing in the heart of
London’s legal world through to his long and eventful reign as New Zealand’s
third Chief Justice.
On the way it details his ill-fated adventures in colonial
Victoria and his rise to prominence in gold-rush Dunedin. It also analyses
Prendergast’s pivotal role as Attorney-General during the New Zealand Wars and
his controversial part in authorising the invasion of Parihaka.
About
the author
Dr Grant Morris is a
Senior Lecturer in Law at Victoria University of Wellington. His research and
teaching interests include legal history, law and literature and alternative
dispute resolution. Dr Morris has a particular interest in the New Zealand
legal profession from 1860 to 1900. He is the author of Law Alive: The New
Zealand Legal System in Context. Prendergast: Legal Villain?
Please
join us on Wednesday 1 July at 12.15pm at Manatu Taonga (Ministry for Culture
and Heritage) L4, ASB House, 101-103 The Terrace, Wellington.
To listen again to MCH History Group talks go to:http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/handsonhistory/downloads-and-podcasts. For more information about our regular public history
talks please contact lyn.belt@mch.govt.nz
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