Sir Kenneth Keith, former judge and international law specialist, has died aged 88. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former International Court of Justice judge and leading New Zealand jurist Sir Kenneth James Keith has died, aged 88.
Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro announced his death in a social media post last night, in which she described him as “one of New Zealand’s most distinguished jurists and public servants”.
“Across a lifetime of service, Sir Ken brought exceptional intellect, integrity, and a deep commitment to justice,” she said.
Keith was one of the five original judges appointed to New Zealand’s Supreme Court when it was established in 2004.
In 2006, he became the first New Zealander appointed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and was made a member of the Order of New Zealand the following year.
Widely regarded as New Zealand’s pre-eminent expert in international law, he was involved in major international legal efforts including the nuclear test cases before the ICJ.
He also held judicial roles in Samoa, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Niue, and was appointed to the Privy Council in 1998.
Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann said Keith made an “exceptional contribution” to New Zealand and international law through his work as an academic, law reformer and judge.
“Over the span of a long and dedicated career as a teacher, Sir Ken played an important role in developing the legal minds and constitutional understanding of many of today’s leaders, both within the law and beyond,” she said.
Winkelmann estimated that Keith had taught at least 20 of New Zealand’s current senior court judges.
“As much as being remembered for what he did, Sir Ken will be remembered for how he did it,” she said.
“His boundless curiosity and his enthusiasm for ideas gave him an informed knowledge of the law, and of how it sat within a broader history, that was second to none in New Zealand.”
The New Zealand Law Commission also paid tribute to one of its founding members, praising his “enthusiasm for law reform” and encouragement of colleagues during his time as deputy president from 1986, then as president from 1991 to 1996.
“Sir Kenneth’s many achievements and accolades are well known, but for the commission it is his role as a law reformer that rings clearest,” it said.
Keith released his memoir, Without Fear or Favour: A Life in Law, last year, and celebrated its launch alongside his friend and former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
Palmer told the Herald Keith was a “lawyer’s lawyer”.
“He has read everything, and he remembers it all, and he reads more widely in the law than most lawyers do,” he said.
“If the lawyers would do what he said, they’d do far better. He’s always quoting stuff from literature that is outside the law that has some application.”
Today he said his friend made a tremendous contribution to the country and would be sadly missed.
“We had many interesting debates, and I always found his views insightful and well considered. He made a significant impact on New Zealand’s body of law and our legal and constitutional reform bodies. We need more, not fewer, Sir Kenneth Keiths in this world.”
He described his understanding of the legal system and commitment to the law “second to none”.
“He understood justice as something that connects and protects people and is there to hold even the most powerful to account,” said Palmer.
“From his early days at Victoria University, through his years shaping New Zealand’s Law Commission, to the bench of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, he carried that conviction with him everywhere. It was a privilege to see the care he brought to every judgment, every argument, every student who sat across from him. And it was a great honour to have been his friend.”
Keith is survived by his wife and “constant companion”, Lady Jocelyn Keith, their children Judi, John, Susan and Ben, and their nine grandchildren.