THE OMNZ HONOUR

Below is an official explanation of the award of the honour of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit publicly announced on 31 December 2025:

For services to the law

Mr Jack Hodder has contributed to law reform and the structure of New Zealand’s legal system.

Mr Hodder is recognised as one of the country’s foremost commercial litigators and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2008. As Law Commissioner from 1986 to 1991, he played a key role in the development of numerous Acts of Parliament, including the Companies Act 1993 and the Arbitration Act 1996. From 1991 to 2015 he was a litigation partner at Chapman Tripp and served as Chair of the Board for six years. He became a barrister sole in 2015. In 2002 he was appointed to the Government’s advisory group to give recommendations on the formation of the Supreme Court to replace the Privy Council. His advocacy in complex and novel cases has significantly contributed to developing New Zealand law. He has authored many publications on a wide range of law and government-policy related topics. He established the highly regarded legal publication ‘The Capital Letter’ in 1978 and remained editor until 2006. In 2024, he was recognised as the Leading Silk (Tier 1) for commercial disputes from the Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide. In 2025 Mr Hodder was recognised as a Band 1 Silk for Dispute Resolution by Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific.