Collins graduated from with a Bachelor of Laws(Honours)(First Class) in 1975 and an Master of Laws in 1976. He was awarded an Doctor of Laws by Victoria University in 1993. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Law at Victoria University.
He was the Solicitor-General of New Zealand from 1 September 2006 to 15 March 2012, before being made a judge of the High Court in 2012. Collins was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1976. He was admitted to the State of Victoria Bar and the High Court of Australia Bar in 1986.
He was appointed Queen"s Counsel in 2000.
Upon graduating from Victoria University in 1975, Collins took up a three-month research position at Rhyne & Rhyne in Washington District of Columbia. In 1979, Collins commenced practicing law in Wellington as a solicitor for Chapman Tripp. In 1982 he was admitted to partnership in a firm that subsequently merged and is today known as Rainey Collins.
He remained at the firm until 1995. In 1996 he left practice to become a barrister.
During this period he conducted several appeals before the Privy Council in London.
He took silk in 2000. Prior to his appointment as Solicitor-General, Collins was Chair of the Accident Compensation Commission, and Chair of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. In 2006, Collins was appointed Solicitor-General.
He remained in this role until he was appointed a High Court Judge.
He appeared as senior counsel in over 30 Supreme Court and Privy Council decisions, including: North Shore City Council v Attorney-General 1 NZLR 296 (South Carolina) Chapman v Attorney-General NZSC 110 R v Gwaze 3 NZLR 734 (South Carolina) Saxmere Company Limited v Wool Board Disestablishment Company Limited 1 NZLR 35, 76 (South Carolina) Bain v R UKPC 4 Phipps v Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 2 NZLR 513 (Personal Computer) R v Ramstead 2 Air Corps 92, 1 NZLR 513 (Personal Computer) Treaty Tribes Coalition and Others v Urban Maori Authority 1 NZLR 513 (Personal Computer) Collins has authored a textbook, and has been a contributory author for three other texts. He has written a number of articles
Collins has been actively involved in mountaineering and tramping.
Collins has served terms as President of the Wellington District Law Society, Vice-President of the New Zealand Law Society, and Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Governors, World Association of Law and Medicine.
