Newspaper Article – The “Arm of the Law”

The “arm” of the law, as it pertains to the Napier Courthouse, is long and steeped in history. A history which might have been lost but for the actions of a former president of the Hawke’s Bay Law Society, Mr Bill McLeod.

The “arms” in this case were the British Coat Of Arms (above) which had graced the walls of the 104-year-old Napier Courthouse for as ‘‘long as living memory”.

When the interior of the courthouse was refurbished about 1960, the Coat-of-Arms was going out with the rubbish. By then the country had its own official insignia.

Mr McLeod is credited with realising the historic value of the plaque of wood and retrieving it – almost from under the rubbishman’s nose.

Lengthy correspondence ensued between the Department of Justice’s head office in Wellington and finally permission was granted for the British Coat-of-Arms to be re-hung behind the judicial bench in the courthouse.

Photo caption – BELOW: The original insignia as it was depicted on first page of the first volume of the New Zealand Legislative Council’s records.