John Lochiel Robson (4 June 1909 – 17 September 1993) was a New Zealand senior public servant and penal reformer.

Biography

Robson was born in

Halcombe Halcombe is a small settlement in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is situated 13 km north west of Feilding and 4 km east of the Rangitikei River, between State Highway 1 and State Highway 54. Hal ...

, Manawatu, New Zealand in 1909. He graduated

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

from

Canterbury University College The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

in 1931, and

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

(law) from

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...

in 1939. Returning to New Zealand he rose through the public service, serving as

Secretary for Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

from 1960 to 1969, where he pursued a progressive penal policy. He also had substantial impact on the

Indecent Publications Act 1963 The Indecent Publications Act was a New Zealand Act of Parliament enacted in 1963. It repealed the Indecent Publications Act 1910, Indecent Publications Amendment Act 1954, Indecent Publications Amendment Act 1958, Indecent Publications Amendm ...

. After his retirement, Robson founded the Institute of Criminology at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Z ...

. In 1936, Robson was a founding member of New Zealand Institute of Public Administration, and served as its president between 1954 and 1955. From 1981 to 1988, he was patron the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.

Honours and awards

In the 1968 Queen's Birthday Honours, Robson was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, in recognition of his service as Secretary of Justice. The following year he was conferred with an

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ( ...

degree by the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

References

1909 births 1993 deaths People from Halcombe New Zealand public servants Prison reformers New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire {{NewZealand-gov-bio-stub