REID, WALTER SCOTT (1839-1920), born in Edinburgh, was the son of Captain James Reid, of the 45th Regiment, who was a staff officer in Tasmania in 1852. Educated in Scotland and in Tasmania, he was admitted to the bar in 1862. In 1865 he came to New Zealand and started to practise in Wellington. He was registrar of deeds for Southland for some months and then went into partnership with C. E. Button (q.v.) in Hokitika.

Reid was elected a member of the Westland county council and education board. After four years as assistant law officer in Wellington, he was appointed Solicitor-general in 1875 and he drafted the abolition of the provinces act 1875 and the education act 1877. He assisted in the consolidation of the statutes which was published by the Government in 1881 and adapted the criminal code (passed in 1893). In 1882 he served on the judicature commission, which prepared the code of procedure for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Until he retired (in 1900) Reid was chairman of the boards of the Public Trust office and of the Government Insurance department. He was a member of the commission which considered the advisability of New Zealand joining the Commonwealth of Australia and was appointed chairman of the land commission (1905) but did not act. Reid refused a seat on the Supreme Court bench. He died on 1 Feb 1920.

Cycl. NZ., i; Who's Who NZ., 1908; Evening Post, 3 Feb 1920.

Reference: Volume 2, page 113

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