William Martin (judge)

The Honourable Sir William Martin
1st Chief Justice of New Zealand
In office 5 February 1841 – 12 June 1857
Appointed by	William Hobson
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	George Arney
Personal details
Born	1807 Birmingham, UK
Died	18 November 1880 Torquay, UK
Spouse(s)	Mary Ann, Lady Martin (nee Parker)

Sir William Martin (1807 – 18 November 1880) was the first Chief Justice of New Zealand, from 1841 until he resigned in 1857.

Originally from the family of the Martins of Long Melford, Suffolk, Martin was born in Birmingham. He was baptised on 22 May 1807 and it is assumed that 1807 is his birth year. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Eton, and St John's College, Cambridge. He was appointed Chief Justice by the Colonial Office in January 1841 (warrant under Royal sign manual 5 February 1841; sworn 10 January 1842), and arrived in New Zealand in August 1841.

He worked in New Zealand with Henry Samuel Chapman, who in 1843 was appointed Judge for New Munster, the southern province of New Zealand including Wellington and the South Island, and was resident judge at Wellington for eight years to 1852. They produced the 1852 Report on Supreme Court Procedure for New Zealand. Sir William also sat on circuit as a judge around New Zealand.

Martin, the Attorney-General William Swainson and Thomas Outhwaite, the first Registrar of the Supreme Court, were responsible for setting up the New Zealand judicial system. Martin, a friend of George Selwyn was sympathetic to the missionary and evangelical aspirations of the Anglican Church in the South Pacific, and to the Māori. He wrote protests against the Crown's disregard of its moral obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and the invasion of Taranaki.

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