James Prendergast (1826-1921) was the third Chief Justice of New Zealand, serving from 1875 to 1899 and the first appointed on the advice of a responsible New Zealand government. He had earlier served as Attorney-General from 1865 to 1876, consolidating criminal law through 94 drafted Acts and becoming the first president of the New Zealand Law Society in 1870. He is chiefly remembered for his 1877 judgment in Wi Parata v The Bishop of Wellington, in which he described the Treaty of Waitangi as a simple nullity and ruled against recognizing Maori customary land title, a ruling that reflected the prejudices of his era and was overturned in 1941. He was knighted in 1881, retired in 1899, and died in Wellington in 1921.
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James Prendergast (judge) (Wikipedia)
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Sir James Prendergast was the third Chief Justice of New Zealand. Prendergast was the first Chief Justice to be appointed on the advice of a responsible New Zealand government, but is chiefly noted for his far-reaching decision in Wi Parata v The Bishop of Wellington in which he described the Treaty of Waitangi as "a simple nullity".
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