Pat Downey
Encyclopedia
For the American football
center
see: Patrick Downey
Pat Downey (Patrick James) (born 1927), OBE, MA(NZ), LL.B(NZ), Barrister and Solicitor
, was Chief Human Rights Commissioner
and Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of New Zealand
(1978–1984), Director, Butterworths of New Zealand
(a legal publisher) (1983–1993), Editor, NZ Law Journal (1983–1996) and General Editor, The Laws of New Zealand (1991–1995).
. He was a first-day pupil at St Peter's College
. He finished his education at Sacred Heart College
in Ponsonby
.
in 1973. He was subsequently Chairman of Radio New Zealand
and a member of the Broadcasting Council. He was for a time chairman of the committee responsible to the corporation for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
. Subsequently he was on the boards of the Royal New Zealand Ballet
and the New Zealand School of Dance
. He was also a contributor and reviewer in the New Zealand Listener
and Landfall
. He was editor of the New Zealand Law Journal for 13 years until 1996. During much of this time he was also Legal Publishing Director of Butterworths until retiring from that position in 1992 by which time he was engaged as the founding General Editor of The Laws of New Zealand.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
see: Patrick Downey
Patrick Downey
For the New Zealand Lawyer see: Pat DowneyPat Downey is a former American football center in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, the New England Patriots, and the Washington Redskins. Downey was also with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002 as a member of their Practice Squad...
Pat Downey (Patrick James) (born 1927), OBE, MA(NZ), LL.B(NZ), Barrister and Solicitor
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, was Chief Human Rights Commissioner
New Zealand Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution in New Zealand. It is funded through the Ministry of Justice, but operates independently of the New Zealand Government...
and Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of New Zealand
New Zealand Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution in New Zealand. It is funded through the Ministry of Justice, but operates independently of the New Zealand Government...
(1978–1984), Director, Butterworths of New Zealand
LexisNexis Butterworths
LexisNexis Butterworths is a trading name of the British publisher specialising in legal, tax and regulatory publications that was founded in 1818 by Henry Butterworth. The Butterworths publishing business is now owned and operated in the UK by Reed Elsevier Ltd, a company in the Reed Elsevier Group...
(a legal publisher) (1983–1993), Editor, NZ Law Journal (1983–1996) and General Editor, The Laws of New Zealand (1991–1995).
Background
Downey spent his childhood in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. He was a first-day pupil at St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
. He finished his education at Sacred Heart College
Sacred Heart College, Auckland
Sacred Heart College is a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a Catholic, Marist College set on of land overlooking the Tamaki Estuary in Glen Innes.- History :The college was opened in 1903 in Ponsonby, by the Marist Brothers...
in Ponsonby
Ponsonby, New Zealand
Ponsonby is an inner-city suburb of Auckland City located 2 km west of the Auckland CBD, in the North Island of New Zealand. The suburb is oriented along a ridge running north-south, which is followed by the main street of the suburb, Ponsonby Road....
.
Career
Downey was a practising lawyer with many other interests. At various times he has been a university tutor and a civil servant as well. He was appointed as Chief Human Rights Commissioner in 1977 on the coming into effect of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission Act 1977. He was also involved with New Zealand broadcasting. He was originally appointed to the board of the New Zealand Broadcasting CorporationNew Zealand Broadcasting Corporation
The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation was established by the New Zealand government in 1962. It was dissolved on 1 April 1975, and replaced by three separate organisations: Radio New Zealand, Television One, and Television Two, later known as South Pacific Television....
in 1973. He was subsequently Chairman of Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand is a New Zealand public service radio broadcaster and Crown entity formed by the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news, current affairs and arts network Radio New Zealand National and classical music and jazz network Radio New Zealand Concert with full government funding...
and a member of the Broadcasting Council. He was for a time chairman of the committee responsible to the corporation for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of New Zealand. It is a crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, with 90 full-time players....
. Subsequently he was on the boards of the Royal New Zealand Ballet
Royal New Zealand Ballet
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is based in Wellington, New Zealand.The Royal New Zealand Ballet is a company of 32 dynamic dancers, performing an eclectic repertoire of outstanding dance, for national and international audiences, whilst continuing to build a style that is ultimately unique to the...
and the New Zealand School of Dance
Te Whaea
in Wellington, New Zealand, is the New Zealand National Dance and Drama Centre, the home to the New Zealand School of Dance and Toi Whakaari:...
. He was also a contributor and reviewer in the New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
and Landfall
Landfall (journal)
Landfall is New Zealand's oldest extant literary journal. First published in 1947 by Caxton Press, under the editorship of Charles Brasch, it features new fiction and poetry, biographical and critical essays, cultural commentary, and reviews of books, art, film, drama and dance.Additionally, the...
. He was editor of the New Zealand Law Journal for 13 years until 1996. During much of this time he was also Legal Publishing Director of Butterworths until retiring from that position in 1992 by which time he was engaged as the founding General Editor of The Laws of New Zealand.