Geoffrey Palmer

• Born: 21 April 1942

Politician, law professor and constitutional law expert

Place of birth: Nelson, New Zealand

Education: Victoria University of Wellington, University of Chicago Law School

Significance: Law professor-turned-politician Sir Geoffrey Palmer became prime minister of New Zealand during Labour's fourth government, a period of radical legal and economic reforms. After leaving office, he continued to work toward reforming New Zealand's institutions and laws as a law professor, solicitor and in various positions in bodies such as the Law Commission of New Zealand.

Background

Geoffrey Palmer was born on 21 April 1942 in Nelson, New Zealand. He grew up in Nelson and attended Nelson Central School and Nelson College. As a student, he played the piano and trumpet and participated in public speaking, winning the Anthony Eden Cup in his last year of secondary school. When he was seven years old, that love of rhetoric inspired in him the desire to be a lawyer. He briefly considered being a journalist and worked as a cub reporter at the Nelson Evening Mail, where his father was then editor, for two summers. At university, he was the editor of a student newspaper.

Palmer graduated from the Victoria University of Wellington with a bachelor of law degree and a bachelor of arts in political science. He went on to earn a juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 1967.

Career in Law and Politics

Admitted as a solicitor in 1965 and to the bar in 1966, Palmer for the law firm of O'Flynn and Christie in Wellington before studying in the United States on a British Commonwealth Fellowship. Upon returning to New Zealand, he lectured on political science at Victoria University of Wellington from 1968 to 1969. He spent the next four years as a professor of law in the United States, teaching at the University of Iowa and the University of Virginia. In 1974, he joined the Victoria University of Wellington as a professor of English and New Zealand law, a position he held until 1979.

In 1975, Palmer joined the New Zealand Labour Party. He was elected member of Parliament (MP) for Christchurch Central in the 1979 by-election. Rising rapidly through the ranks of the party, he was elected deputy leader of the party in 1983. Upon Labour winning the 1984 election, he became the deputy prime minister (1984–89), minister of justice (1984–89), attorney-general (1984–89) and leader of the House of Representatives (1984–87) in Labour's fourth government. He dropped his role as leader of the House of Representatives after Labour won the 1987 election and took on the environment portfolio (1987–90).

As deputy prime minister during David Lange's government, Palmer helped to effect some of the most sweeping economic and legal reforms in New Zealand's history. He managed both the Cabinet and Lange, which made possible a multitude of reforms such as the deregulation of New Zealand's economy and privatisation of many state assets. During his second term, Lange attempted to slow down the economic reforms. Conflicts with other members of the Labour Party intensified, and in August 1989 he resigned and nominated Palmer to succeed him. Palmer became the prime minister on 8 August 1989. His tenure as prime minister lasted thirteen months. Unable to achieve his goals due to in-fighting among Labour Party members, he resigned on 4 September 1990. That same year he resigned from Parliament.

After leaving office, Palmer resumed his academic career, teaching law at the Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Iowa. In 1994, he resumed working as a solicitor and co-founded the law firm of Chen Palmer and Partners. Upon being appointed the president of the Law Commission of New Zealand in 2005, Palmer left his law firm and served until 2010. He also served as the New Zealand member of the International Whaling Commission (2002–10). He was the chairperson for the Legislation Advisory Committee of the New Zealand Government between 2005 and 2012. From 2010 to 2011, Palmer chaired the United Nations Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident.

Palmer has written numerous journal articles and authored or co-authored more than a dozen books on New Zealand's law, constitution and government and related topics, including Unbridled Power: An Interpretation of New Zealand's Constitution(1979); Constitution in Crisis: Reforming Our Political System (1992); Bridled Power: New Zealand's Constitution and Government (1979), revised with his son, Matthew Palmer, in 1997 and 2004; and his memoir, Reform (2013). He also wrote Towards Democratic Renewal with Andrew Butler in 2018.

As of the 2020s, Palmer remains a distinguished fellow at the Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law, where he has overseen course coordination on topics such as climate change and the law. He also serves on the advisory board of the university's NZ Journal of Public and International Law. Palmer remains a global affiliated professor at the University of Iowa College of Law as well.

Impact

An ardent advocate for constitutional and parliamentary reform, Geoffrey Palmer has worked for more than three decades to effect change, educate others about issues and open dialogues about them. He drafted the Constitution Act 1986, which sought to reform New Zealand's constitutional law, and established the commission that recommended the adoption of the mixed member proportional voting system in place of the plurality system. He also wrote the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. Since leaving office, Palmer has continued to promote constitutional reform, and in 2016 he co-authored A Constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand, which proposes the adoption of a written constitution for New Zealand.

For his work, Palmer has been recognised with several honours. In 1991 he was made a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George and an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia.

Personal Life

Palmer married Margaret Hinchcliff in 1963. They have two children, Matthew and Rebekah.

Bibliography

"Geoffrey Palmer." Victoria University of Wellington, www.wgtn.ac.nz/law/about/staff/geoffrey-palmer. Accessed 18 June 2024.

Hubbard, Anthony. "The Reluctant Prime Minister." Stuff, 23 Nov. 2013, www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9433705/The-Reluctant-Prime-Minister. Accessed 18 June 2024.

Manning, David. "Man of Law." Nelson Mail, 10 Nov. 2007, www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/lifestyle-entertainment/weekend/7967/Man-of-law. Accessed 18 June 2024.

Palmer, Geoffrey. "Palmer's Foray into Politics." Interview by Joseph Romanos. The Wellington, 15 Nov. 2012, www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/features/7952545/Palmers-foray-into-politics. Accessed 18 June 2024.

Palmer, Geoffrey. "Time for a 40-Page New Zealand Constitution, Says Sir Geoffrey Palmer." Interview by Bill Moore. Stuff, 2 Apr. 2016, www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/78429102/time-for-a-40page-new-zealand-constitution-says-sir-geoffrey-palmer. Accessed 18 June 2024.

"Sir Geoffrey Palmer." United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law, United Nations, legal.un.org/avl/pdf/ls/Palmer‗bio.pdf. Accessed 18 June 2024.