Background
His father was elderly and his mother died in Auckland from tuberculosis when Brown was one year old.
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Mick Brown
Edit ProfileEducation
He was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School from 1951 to 1956.
Career
In 1980 he became the first Māori to be appointed as a District Court judge, and he was later the first principal Youth Court judge. Born in the Far North in 1937, Brown affiliated to Ngāti Kahu, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi. He was subsequently fostered by the Flood family in Mount Albert.
Brown initially pursued a career in teaching, but he was drawn to the law by a love of debating.
After practising law in Auckland, Brown was appointed as a judge of the District Court in 1980, becoming the first Māori to hold that position. Following the Queen Street riot in December 1984, Brown acquitted Doctor of Divinity Smash lead singer Dave Dobbyn of charges of behaving in a manner likely to cause violence against person or property and using insulting language.
In 1989 Brown was appointed the first principal judge of the Youth Court, a specialist division of the District Court, and held that office until 1995. He was also pro vice-chancellor (Māori) at the university until 2005.
Achievements
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Brown was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Auckland in 1992. In the 1996 Queen"s Birthday he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Youth Court, education and the community. In 2002, he received a distinguished alumni award from the University of Auckland, and in 2013 he was awarded the Blake Medal for leadership by the Sir Peter Blake Trust.
Membership
Brown served as a member of the University of Auckland Council for 15 years and was the university"s chancellor from 1986 to 1991.
Connections
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Born
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Died
April 3, 2015 (aged 77) -
Nationality
New Zealand