72See, generally, “The Late Sir Frederick Chapman” (193 6) NZLJ 172–174; P Spiller, “Chapman,
Frederick Revans 1849 – 1936" . Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (updated 31 July 20 03); P Spiller,
The Chapm an Legal Family, VUP, W ellington, 1992.
73New Zealand Ga zette (1921) No 23 (March 3) p 621.
53
(a)
as and when directed by the Prime Minister or the Attorney-General, to compile,
with their amendments, statutes, am endments whereof have bee n enac ted, and to
supervise the printing of such comp ilations:
(b)
to report to the Prime Minister or the Attorney-General upon verbal or technical
alterations of language which may be adopted for the purpose and in the course of
any compilation:
(c)
to consider the language and effect of the statutes, compilation whereof is directed,
and to state for the consideration of the Prime Minister or the Attorney-General
suggestions or prop osals for the alteration of the law enacted by such statutes, or
for the extension or limitation of the effect of such statutes, or for amendment of
the wording of any such statute:
(d)
such other duties relating to the compilation of statutes and the amendment or
extension or limitation of the effect of statutes enacted by Parliament as the Prime
Minister or the A ttorney-G enera l may from time to time assign to be performed by
the Co mpilation D epartment.
106
John Curnin held the office of Compiler of Statutes for some time before his death
in 1904. However, Frederick Revans Chapman72 was first to hold the office of
Compiler of Statutes under the 1920 Act. The son of Henry Samuel Chapman (the
second Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand), Frederick Revans Chapman
trained in England but practised in Dunedin, and was the first native-born New
Zealander appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.
107
Chapman retired from the Supreme Court bench in 1921. On 3 March 1921 (the day
after his resignation from the bench took effect), he was appointed Compiler of
Statutes,73 an office he held until 1924. Chapman assisted in the compilation,
amendment, and consolidation of Acts of Parliament, and in this way helped to
