Sir William Martin

E254680

Sir William Martin was a 19th-century British-born jurist who became a foundational figure in New Zealand’s legal system and an influential advocate for Māori rights.

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Label Occurrences
Sir William Martin canonical 1

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Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Chief Justice
Māori rights advocate
jurist
legal reformer
person
advocatedFor fair treatment of Māori in land transactions
appointedBy William Hobson
surface form: Governor William Hobson
birthYear 1807
countryOfBirth United Kingdom
countryOfCitizenship United Kingdom
deathYear 1880
educatedAt King Edward's School, Birmingham
surface form: King Edward’s School, Birmingham

St John’s College, Cambridge
endTime 1857
era 19th century
ethnicOrigin British
fieldOfWork colonial legal systems
indigenous rights
law
honorificPrefix Sir
influenced New Zealand jurisprudence on the Treaty of Waitangi
development of New Zealand constitutional law
knownFor advocacy for Māori rights
shaping New Zealand’s early legal system
language English
legalPhilosophy protection of indigenous rights within colonial law
legalSystem New Zealand legal system
name William Martin
notableFor being the first Chief Justice of New Zealand
notableWork pamphlets on Māori land rights
writings on the Treaty of Waitangi
occupation judge
jurist
legal scholar
placeOfBirth Birmingham
positionHeld Chief Justice of New Zealand
relative George Augustus Selwyn
religion Anglicanism (broadly)
surface form: Anglicanism
residence Auckland
New Zealand
spouse Mary Ann Parker
startTime 1841
supported recognition of Māori customary title

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Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Chief Justice of New Zealand firstHolder Sir William Martin