Tributes pour in for Sir Peter Williams QC

Sir Peter Williams was a keen sailor. Photo / Doug Sherring

Sir Peter Williams: 1934-2015

Tributes have poured in for respected lawyer Sir Peter Williams who died last night.

The president of the organisation through which Sir Peter Williams fought fiercely for prison reform in New Zealand for 30 years has called him "one of New Zealand's greatest heroes."

Howard League Wellington president Madeleine Rose was shocked and saddened to hear of Sir Peter's death last night, and said he "stood for humanity in prisons."

"He's done a lot of work [with the Howard League] over the years, and recently quite a few inquests into deaths in prisons - all for free," she said.

Though he started up his own organisation, the Prison Reform Society, in 2011, Ms Rose said he was still closely involved with the Christchurch and Wellington branches of the Howard League.

Labour MP Grant Robertson took to Twitter last night, writing: "Struggling to find words for the loss today of two great campaigners for social justice -Peter Williams and Peter Conway. Huge losses. RIP," while Bill Ralston wrote, "Sir Peter Williams QC RIP. A good and generous man gone. Sad."

Writer Hamish Keith called Sir Peter "a very fine man and a great New Zealander," and Mayor Len Brown wrote "Sir Peter Williams QC was a voice for those in need. Unrelenting, fearless. Our thoughts tonight are with his family and friends and all those he worked with."

Nigel Hampton QC said Sir Peter was always warm, welcoming and hospitable.

He said Sir Peter's involvement in prison reform was inspired by the "Victorian" conditions seen in New Zealand jails in the 1950s and 1960s.

"Once we started going into prisons as young lawyers we saw how degrading the conditions were. It made you think to yourself, 'there must be a better way,' and it became a lifelong passion for him."

He said Sir Peter had a charisma about him that gave him the ability to speak to people and evoke sympathy and compassion - which made him a great criminal lawyer, and prison reform advocate.

Mr Hampton said not everyone agreed with his ideas though - and he copped a lot of flak for them.