His Honour Principal Family Court Judge PF Boshier
Judge Peter Boshier is the Principal Family Court Judge of New Zealand and was appointed to that role on 12 March 2004. It is an appointment for a term of eight years.
Judge Boshier was born in Gisborne in 1952 and was educated at Gisborne Boys High School and then Victoria University of Wellington where he graduated in 1975 with the degree of LLB (Hons). He joined the Wellington firm of Macalister Mazengarb Parkin & Rose as a law clerk in 1973, became a partner of that firm in 1979 and practised in the areas of criminal, civil, tribunal and family law. He was a council member of the Wellington District Law Society in 1987 and was appointed as a District Court Judge to Auckland in April 1988. His designated areas of specialisation were Family and Youth Courts.
In 1993, Judge Boshier completed a Committee Report reviewing the Family Court. A number of changes to the practice were suggested and have been implemented. Some of that report’s recommendations feature in the Law Commission’s "Dispute Resolution in the Family Court" Report No. 82 published in March 2003.
Judge Boshier has long had an interest in Pacific youth justice and in child offenders. In 1999, he wrote a Child Offenders Manual, at the request of the then Principal Youth Court Judge David Carruthers. The Manual gives a practical guide to successful intervention with child offenders. Since then, he has taught extensively in this area of the law.
In July 2002, he was seconded by the New Zealand Government to join the Pacific Judicial Education Programme based in Suva and teaching law to judicial officers of the Pacific. In 2003 he attended the University of the South Pacific and completed a graduate certificate in tertiary teaching.
Upon his return to New Zealand he was appointed to his present position and has a commitment to working with the government to continue to reform the Family Court so that its processes provide efficient and economic access to justice.
In October 2006 Judge Boshier was charitably nominated by the New Zealand Listener, as being in the top fifty outstanding New Zealanders.
His Honour Principal Youth Court Judge AJ Becroft
His Honour Judge Andrew Becroft was appointed Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand in June 2001.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and educated at Rongotai College, Wellington, Judge Becroft graduated from Auckland University in 1981 with a BA/LLB (Hons) degree. He practised in Auckland with the firm Fortune Manning & Partners. In 1986 he assisted with the establishment of the Mangere Community Law Centre and worked there as the Centre’s senior solicitor until 1993. He then worked as a criminal barrister in South Auckland until his appointment to the Wanganui District Court in 1996. Judge Becroft is a former council member of the Auckland District Law Society and the New Zealand Law Society. He is current editor of LexisNexis "Transport Law".
Judge Becroft is currently the Patron of the New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc, which assists those with various forms of speech impediment. He is also President of the NZ Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship.
He is married with three school aged children. Judge Becroft is a keen sports watcher (but an average participant). He is a strong advocate of youth issues.
