Biography.guide
Home › People › Judge › Ronald Davison
Portrait of Ronald Davison

Ronald Davison

1920 – 2015

New Zealand lawyer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Ronald Davison

Lived 1920 – 2015 (aged 94). Ronald Davison was a New Zealand judge and lawyer.

Sir Ronald Keith Davison (16 November 1920 – 2 July 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He served as the tenth Chief Justice of New Zealand from 1978 to 1989.

Early life and family Born in Kaponga on 16 November 1920, Davison was the son of Joseph James Davison and Florence Minnie Davison (née McCleland).

People who come to this country and commit terrorist activities cannot expect to have a short holiday at the expense of our Government and return home as heroes.

When The New Zealand Herald celebrated its 150th birthday in November 2013, they named a "New Zealander of the Year" for each year of their history. Davison was their New Zealander of the Year for 1985 for his conduct during the trial of the French secret service agents. In the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours, Davison was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for public services. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 11 February 1978, just after his appointment as Chief Justice. Also in 1978, he was appointed to the Privy Council. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal in 1990. Jacqueline, Lady Davison, died in Auckland on 16 November 2016.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Auckland
Positions held
Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Awards
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire; Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Also known as
Sir Ronald Keith Davison

People in Ronald Davison's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ronald Davison's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ronald Davison?

New Zealand lawyer (1920–2015)

When was Ronald Davison born?

Ronald Davison was born on 16 November 1920 in Kaponga.

When did Ronald Davison die?

Ronald Davison died on 2 July 2015 in Auckland.

What was Ronald Davison's occupation?

Ronald Davison was a judge and lawyer.

What nationality was Ronald Davison?

Ronald Davison was New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ronald Davison

· Wikidata: Q11998384

· DBpedia: Ronald Davison

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ronald Davison. https://biography.guide/ronald-davison/

MLA: "Ronald Davison." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ronald-davison/.

Chicago: "Ronald Davison." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ronald-davison/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:23 UTC