Alison Quentin-Baxter

Dame Alison Burns Quentin-Baxter (; 28 December 1929 – 30 September 2023) was a New Zealand public and international lawyer. She advised a number of small island states on the drafting of their constitutional documents.

Early life and education Quentin-Baxter was born in Auckland on 28 December 1929 to Bill and Barbara Souter and grew up there. and studied law at Auckland University College where she became chair of the students' law society in her final year, the first woman to hold the position. On graduation, she declined an offer of a position in a leading city firm and instead applied to the Department of External Affairs for a job, as she was interested in international affairs and government. She was successful and started working in the department in 1951. where she began teaching law at a polytechnic college.

In 1970, Quentin-Baxter's husband was appointed a constitutional adviser to the Niue Island Assembly, and she accompanied and assisted him with the work of drafting a new constitution for the country. In 1974, the Niue Constitution Act was passed, incorporating the work of them both.

From 1977 to 1979, Quentin-Baxter served as counsel to the Marshall Islands Constitutional Conventions, and from 2002 to 2004 she served as an independent constitutional adviser to the members of the St. Helena Legislative Council. Quentin-Baxter died on 30 September 2023, at age 93.

Publications In 2017, This Realm of New Zealand: The Sovereign, the Governor-General, the Crown co-written with Janet McLean, was published.

Honours and awards In the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, Quentin-Baxter was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services. In 2003, she was awarded an honorary doctorate of Laws by Victoria University of Wellington. In 2009, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government, she accepted redesignation as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.