New Year Honours: Honour may herald top job

By AUDREY YOUNG

The honour awarded to Court of Appeal judge Thomas Gault may be a precursor to his assuming the top job in the court when the president, Sir Ivor Richardson, retires.

Justice Gault has been made a distinguished companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit - equivalent under the old honours system to a knight companion.

Court of Appeal judges are always made members of the Privy Council, which bears the title the Right Honourable, but other honours are not automatic.

Justice Sir Kenneth Keith was given his knighthood when he was head of the Law Commission, before he joined the Court of Appeal.

After Sir Ivor, Justice Gault, aged 62, is the most senior judge of the court, having been appointed in 1991. If the present pattern of appointments from within continues, he will be the front-runner when Sir Ivor retires in May 2002 when he turns 72.

But alternatively, there are suggestions that Chief Justice Sian Elias may take on the presidency in addition to her present post.

That would make the head of the Judiciary the head of the highest court in the country as well, a model followed in Australia.

Justice Gault was a High Court judge from 1987 to 1991. Before that he was a patent attorney, barrister and Queen's Counsel.