Peter Mahon (judge)
Peter Mahon | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the High Court | |
| In office 1971–1982 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Peter Thomas Mahon 1 November 1923 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | 11 August 1986 (aged 62) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Spouse |
Margarita Carole Smith
(m. 1952) |
| Relatives | Sam Mahon (son) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Royal Commission of Inquiry into the crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 |
Peter Thomas Mahon QC (1 November 1923 – 11 August 1986) was a New Zealand High Court judge. He led a Commission of Inquiry into the 1979 crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 into Mount Erebus. His assessment of the airline's witnesses having engaged in "an orchestrated litany of lies" is one of the most well-known quotes in New Zealand, brought him offline with the establishment and made him a national hero.