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Story: Judicial system

Privy Council: Sir Michael Myers

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Privy Council: Sir Michael Myers

Michael Myers was a brilliant lawyer and judge who rose to the position of chief justice in 1929. As a young lawyer he took a number of cases to the Privy Council in London, and in 1926 won five successive cases there. In 1931 he was himself appointed to the Privy Council. In this 1936 portrait he is wearing the privy councillors' elaborate civil uniform. He holds a court dress sword, and his feathered hat is on the table beside him.

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Reference: O.033244

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How to cite this page

Philip A. Joseph and Thomas Joseph, Judicial system – History of the courts, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/33962/privy-council-sir-michael-myers (accessed 15 June 2026).

Story by Philip A. Joseph and Thomas Joseph, published 25 May 2012, updated 11 October 2016.