Past Members
Debsoc has a great number of past members who have gone on to top various fields and become well known names around New Zealand and the world. A number of the most noteworthy former Debsoc members are listed below.
Hon Christopher Finlayson – Attorney-General (2008- present), Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (2008-present) and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage (2008-present)
Hon Bill English – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (2008-present)
Hon Tim Groser – Minister for Trade (2008-present), Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations (2008-present)
Russell Fairbrother – Labour Party MP
Hamish Hancock – former National Party MP and now Crown Counsel.
Raybon Kan – Comedian, Sunday Star-Times columnist
John Platts-Mills QC – Rhodes Scholar and UK MP
Judge Peter Boshier – Principal Judge of the Family Court of New Zealand
Justice Stephen Kos (former prominent Wellington barrister, formerly Chairman of Partners at Russell McVeagh, now Justice of the High Court of New Zealand)
Sir Matthew Oram – Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives 1950-1957
Rt.Hon. Sir Humphrey O’Leary KCMG – Chief Justice of New Zealand, 1946-1953
Rt.Hon. Edmund (Ted) Thomas – acting Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand
Sir Brian Elwood – New Zealand Chief Ombudsman 1994-2003
Sir David Smith – Justice of the Supreme Court (now the High Court) and Chancellor of Victoria University
Oswald Chettle Mazengarb QC – Prominent Barrister and author of the Mazengarb Report
Peter Biggs – Head of Colenso and former Chair of Creative NZ
Gerard Curry – Senior litigation partner in Russell McVeagh and lawyer for Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur
The Society has also had a number of members go on to be Rhodes Scholars to Oxford University. This is New Zealand’s most prestigous scholarship. These members are:
Malcolm Birdling
Chelsea Payne
Alexandra Gillespie
John Platts-Mills