Kenneth Keith: key obituary facts
Is Kenneth Keith dead? Yes. Kenneth Keith died on May 13, 2026, at age 88.
Cause of death: Kenneth Keith's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Kenneth Keith known for?
He was known as New Zealand jurist and legal scholar (1937–2026).
More about Kenneth Keith
Born: 19 November 1937.
Place of birth: Auckland.
Place of death: Wellington Hospital.
Gender: male.
Occupation: judge, lawyer, academic.
Nationality: New Zealand.
Education: Auckland Grammar School, Harvard Law School, Victoria University of Wellington.
Employer: Victoria University of Wellington, Australian National University.
Awards: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Order of New Zealand, honorary doctor of the University of Auckland, honorary doctor of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.
Spouse: Jocelyn Keith.
Children: Judi Keith-Brown.
Also known as: Kenneth James Keith, Sir Kenneth Keith, Sir Kenneth James Keith, K. Keith, K. J. Keith.
Kenneth Keith, a New Zealand jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge of the International Court of Justice from 2006 to 2015, died on May 13, 2026, at the age of 88.
Born in Auckland on 19 November 1937, he was educated at Auckland Grammar School and studied law at the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington, earning Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees before continuing at Harvard Law School. He was elected to the International Court of Justice in November 2005 and served a nine-year term.
In 1961, he married Jocelyn Margaret Buckett, and they had four children.
Kenneth Keith, 88, New Zealand jurist and legal scholar, judge of the International Court of Justice (2006–2015).