Avinash Deobhakta | |
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Personal details | |
Born | Avinash Ganesh Deobhakta 24 November 1936 Lahore, Punjab, British Raj |
Died | 2 September 2015 Auckland, New Zealand | (aged 78)
Profession | Lawyer |
Known for | First New Zealand judge of Indian origin |
Avinash Ganesh Deobhakta (24 November 1936 – 2 September 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He was the first person of Indian origin to be appointed a District Court judge in New Zealand.
Born on 24 November 1936 in Lahore (then in British India, now in Pakistan), [1] Deobhakta was educated in London, and then returned to Uganda. [2] A lawyer, he rose to become the principal state attorney in the Ugandan Department of Public Prosecutions, and was later a chief magistrate. [2] Following the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idi Amin in 1972, Deobhakta emigrated to New Zealand with his family, [3] and became a naturalised New Zealander in 1978. [1]
Settling in Auckland, Deobhakta practised as a barrister sole until his appointment as a District Court judge in 1982. [2] He was the first judge in New Zealand of Indian origin. [4] He was also chair of the Waikeria District Prisons Board, and in 2002 was appointed to the New Zealand Parole Board as a northern region panel convenor. [2]
In 1990, Deobhakta was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. [5] He died in Auckland on 2 September 2015. [6]
Avinash Deobhakta | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | Avinash Ganesh Deobhakta 24 November 1936 Lahore, Punjab, British Raj |
Died | 2 September 2015 Auckland, New Zealand | (aged 78)
Profession | Lawyer |
Known for | First New Zealand judge of Indian origin |
Avinash Ganesh Deobhakta (24 November 1936 – 2 September 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He was the first person of Indian origin to be appointed a District Court judge in New Zealand.
Born on 24 November 1936 in Lahore (then in British India, now in Pakistan), [1] Deobhakta was educated in London, and then returned to Uganda. [2] A lawyer, he rose to become the principal state attorney in the Ugandan Department of Public Prosecutions, and was later a chief magistrate. [2] Following the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idi Amin in 1972, Deobhakta emigrated to New Zealand with his family, [3] and became a naturalised New Zealander in 1978. [1]
Settling in Auckland, Deobhakta practised as a barrister sole until his appointment as a District Court judge in 1982. [2] He was the first judge in New Zealand of Indian origin. [4] He was also chair of the Waikeria District Prisons Board, and in 2002 was appointed to the New Zealand Parole Board as a northern region panel convenor. [2]
In 1990, Deobhakta was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. [5] He died in Auckland on 2 September 2015. [6]