John Levy MacDuff MC (11 December 1905 – 11 July 1963) was a New Zealand-born lawyer and magistrate. He served as Chief Justice of Fiji from 1962 until his death the following year.
John Levy MacDuff | |
|---|---|
| Chief Justice of Fiji | |
| In office 1962–1963 | |
| Preceded by | Albert George Lowe |
| Succeeded by | Clifford Hammett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 December 1905 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 11 July 1963 (aged 57) Suva, Fiij |
Biography
editMacDuff was born in Wellington, New Zealand on 11 December 1905.[1][2] He was educated at Wellington College before studying at Victoria University College.[3] He subsequently worked a barrister and solicitor.[2]
During World War II he joined the 27th Machine-Gun Battalion. He was awarded the Military Cross in January 1943 for his efforts in the Western Desert campaign in 1942, and was mentioned in dispatches.[4][2] He went on to serve as the battalion's Commanding Officer between September 1943 and February 1944, before becoming Commanding Officer of the 25th Battalion, a post he held until June 1944. After leaving the army, he was appointed Assistant Legal Advisor to the Western Pacific High Commission in Fiji in late 1944.[4]
Shortly after arriving in Fiji, MacDuff became Acting Solicitor-General. He served as a District Magistrate between 1946 and 1948, before becoming a Chief Magistrate, a post he held until relocating to Kenya to serve as a puisne judge in 1953.[4]
MacDuff returned to Fiji in 1962 to become Chief Justice, a role he held until his death at his home in Suva the following year.[4]
References
edit- ^ Kenya Calling: Weekly News Digest, 1962
- ^ a b c "John Levy MacDuff". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 8 July 2022 – via Online Cenotaph.
- ^ The New Zealand Law Journal, Volume 38, p219
- ^ a b c d Mr. Justice MacDuff Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1963, p128