Obituary Mr A. C. Brassington

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 3

Obituary Mr A. C. Brassington

Mr Alan Claudius Brassington, who for many years devoted much of his time and energy to, numerous legal, civic, and’ community organisations, 'has died in Nelson. He was 79. Mr Brassington was educated at East Christchurch Primary School, Christchurch Boys’ High School, and Canterbury University College, from which he graduated Ll.B. In 1922 he was the founder and first secretary of the Canterbury College Law Students’ Society, of which he later became president. Between 1931 and 1951 Mr Brassington was a lecturer in constitutional history and law, political science, constitutional and administrative law, and international law. Mr Brassington was known in particular for his work in the field of constitutional law. A former Dominion vice-president of the Constitutional Society, he gave evidence before three Parliamentary committees set up to consider constitutional reform, and also gave leading evidence for the Constitu-

tional Society in support of a Bill of Rights. Mr Brassington drafted the constitution of the Christchurch Civic Trust, which served as a model for civic trusts formed later in other parts of New Zealand. He was a member of the Law Revision Commission from its foundation; a member of the Selden Society

(London); a member of the Statute Law Society (London); and an associate member of the Society of Public Teachers of law. Mr Brassington helped with the birth, in Christchurch of the Public Service Administration Society, and was a founder of the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration. He was a former vicepresident of the South Island Promotion Association. Mr Brassington was a foundation member and later president of the Christchurch Classical Society. He was for many years a member of the English Association, the Friends of the Turnbull Library, the Canterbury Society of Arts, and was a foundation member of the Canterbury Museum Trust Board. In all, he was involved in more than 40 organisations at various times. Mr Brassington wrote extensively on the life and work of Samuel Butler, and was a keen contributor to law journals and newspapers about legal and literary matters.