New Zealand's first female High Court judge and a man who has worked tirelessly for the betterment of Māori have received the highest honours in this year's Queens Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours list. 

Dame Silvia Cartwright and Sir Tipene O'Regan have been appointed to the Order of New Zealand, which has a capped number of members and is the highest honour in this country's honours system. 

- FULL LIST: See the Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours for 2022

The pair lead this year's 187-strong honour list, which also includes three new Dames (Ruth Aitken, Judge Carolyn Henwood and Judith McGregor) and three new Knights (Patrick Hohepa, Hugh Rennie, Collin Tukuitonga). 

Rugby league player Benji Marshall and Black Cap Ross Taylor have both been appointed as Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Award-winning film and television producer and director Chelsea Winstanley has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, while Bill Urale (better known as the hip-hop artist King Kapisi), was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the roll showed the abundance of service by New Zealanders both locally and on the world stage. 

Ta Tipene O'Regan said he was shocked when told he was appointed to the country's highest honour. File photo / Michael Neilson 

"At a time when New Zealand is reconnecting to the world, it makes me proud to highlight the abundance of service by New Zealanders that happens across our communities, as well as on the world stage," Ardern said. 

"This year the service of New Zealanders is being recognised alongside the 70 years of service by the Queen, the Platinum Jubilee, for which the honours list was renamed to reflect." 

Cartwright, 78, was recognised for her huge contribution across many fields including women's health, justice and as NZ's 18th Governor-General. O'Regan for the pivotal part he played in improving the economic and social standing of Māori communities. 

After her tenure as Governor-General, Cartwright served from 2007 to 2014 as one of two international trial judges on the Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal investigating the Khmer Rouge period. 

Dr Judy McGregor combined her passion for human rights and health to lift the voices and improve the lives of women, children and older people. File photo / Natalie Slade 

Cartwright was also part of the United Nations investigation of alleged war crimes and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, and currently chairs the executive board investigating international law breaches by North Korea. 

In 2019, Cartwright led the public inquiry into the Earthquake Commission. 

Cartwright describes herself as a "judicial thinker" and "not a political thinker", and made it clear that she is not a politician. 

She said that she was drawn to law because there were very few interesting careers open to women when she was a young student. 

"At my school, it was teaching, nursing or medicine, because I was at Otago, and I wasn't able or interested to do any of those, so I chose law," Cartwright said. 

She said it had been pretty lonely and difficult being a woman lawyer, but believed things have improved now and that it "unquestionably" was a wonderful profession for women. 

But Cartwright said there were still barriers and obstacles that women lawyers faced. 

Judge Carolyn Henwood is a NZ Order of Merit recipient. Photo / File 

"It's common to most of the community these days and that's the barriers of sexual harassment, sexual attacks, bullying, racial discrimination, those sorts of things," she said. 

"I suffered a bit of discrimination, but it was so overt, so out there that ... you knew what you were facing. These days it's much more difficult." 

Cartwright said she was most proud of having done the government inquiry into unethical research practices related to the treatment of cervical cancer at National Women's Hospital. 

"But certainly, my favourite job of the whole lot was my eight years spent in Cambodia doing the war crimes tribunal there," she said. 

O'Regan was pivotal in bringing about the 1997 Ngai Tahu Deed of Settlement and the subsequent Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. 

These laid the foundations for a tribal asset portfolio that currently stands in excess of $1.8 billion. 

Uddhav Prasad Adhikary, pictured here with Peter Hillary, was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to the Nepalese community. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

O'Regan said being recognised in the Queens Honours list came as a shock as he thought an "old chap" like him was "off people's radar" by now. 

Now 83, O'Regan is one of the country's most respected and admired kaumatua who has dedicated himself to building a bicultural nation. 

He plans to celebrate with his family, surrounded by his 13 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Judge Carolyn Henwood is a new Dame Companion for the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the State, youth and the arts. 

Henwood had a long career as a Youth Court judge and created the Henwood Trust which aims to help young offenders. 

A founding member of Circa Theatre, Henwood said her love of the arts was a creative outlet. 

"When I was working in the court, mostly in the criminal court and the parole board, I'd go down to the theatres and that used to invigorate me," she said. 

Ruth Aitkin (centre), the most capped Silver Ferns coach, has been made a Dame. Photo / File 

Henwood is passionate about helping young offenders and said she could see the system failing them in many ways. 

"You sort of know all the potential that they have ... and you're anxious to do something to make a difference for them so they can get a better life," she said. 

Dr Judy McGregor, a lawyer and former professor at Massey University and AUT, was made a Dame for services to human rights and health. 

Ardern said McGregor combined her passion for human rights and health to lift the voices and improve lives of women, children and older people around the world. 

As the first Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, McGregor went undercover in the aged-care community for a report called "Caring Counts". 

McGregor said that gave her an insight into very low-paid women workers who did magnificent, selfless jobs every day for very little pay. Her work made a significant impact and led to a historic, industry-wide settlement. 

McGregor said she was surprised at being made a Dame. 

"It was a mixture of surprise, why me, because there are many, many people who do so much in the community and they're never recognised," she said. 

Dame Ruth Aitken has been appointed as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to netball. 

Aitken was the most capped Silver Ferns coach with 112 tests. 

The trophies that the Silver Ferns won under Dame Ruth's coaching include the 2003 Netball World Championship, 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games as well as silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and in the 2007 and 2011 World Championships. 

Ardern said the three newest Knights reflected "the very best of New Zealand". 

Paralympian Holly Robinson is one of 19 people recognised for contribution to sport and recreation. Photo / File 

"Dr Patu Hohepa is credited with a renaissance in te ao Māori, Dr Collin Tukuitonga who has undoubtedly improved the lives of our Pacific communities through his work on health and welfare, particularly ensuring high vaccination rates, and Hugh Rennie who has worked across many major companies and government agencies since the 1960s, much of his work pro bono," Ardern said. 

Hohepa is made a Knight for services to Māori culture and education. 

A retired professor of Māori Language at the University of Auckland, Hohepa is also a scholar of te reo Māori and other Pacific languages. 

His leadership and advocacy for Māori cultural recognition and development have been acknowledged for raising the profile of Māori in NZ. 

Tukuitonga was appointed for his services to the Pacific community and public health, and Sir Hugh for services to governance, the law, business and the community. 

Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said Tukuitonga has been a champion of many health initiatives. 

These included establishing a cancer control strategy, managing NZ's response to the Sars threat and consulting on the Painted Apple Moth programme in West Auckland. 

The Minister said over the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tukuitonga had also been a calm and steady voice for immunisation in the Pacific community. 

Rugby league player Benji Marshall is recognised for services to rugby league. File photo / Brett Phibbs 

For services to governance, law, business and the community, Sir Hugh Rennie has been appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit. 

A leading Queen's Counsel since 1995, Rennie chaired the 1998 Inquiry into the Auckland Power Supply Failure and also chaired the New Zealand Ballet for several years. 

Rennie said it's a simple motto that he carried through every task and that is the philosophy of treating people the way he wants to be treated. 

"If there's something positive you can do for others, you should do it," Rennie said. 

Rennie strongly believes everyone - rich or poor - should have access to legal aid, and said it was disappointing to see the collapse of the legal aid system. 

The 2022 Honours list has eight people appointed as Companion of the NZ Order of Merit, 40 Officers of the NZ Order of Merit and 70 Members of the NZ Order of Merit. 

Four were made Companion of the Queens Service Order and 52 awarded the Queens Service Medal. 

Black cap Ross Taylor has been appointed as a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit. File photo / Ian Cooper 

Local Nepalese community leader Uddhav Prasad Adhikary was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to the Nepalese community. 

A Justice of the Peace since 2005, Adhikary was elected president of the Non-Resident Nepalese Association New Zealand last year. 

Adhikary is currently advocating for Everest Day - the day commemorating the anniversary of Sir Edmund's summit - to be an official event on the Government's calendar. 

He has the backing of Peter Hillary, Sir Edmund's son. 

Sonya Rockhouse and Anna Osborne, both with the Pike Families Reference Group that was formed following the Pike River Mine tragedy in 2010 by the families of the 29 miners who lost their lives have been made Members of the NZ Order of Merit. 

Rockhouse and Osborne both lost family in the tragedy and have been fighting for better health and safety practices since. 

Rockhouse, who lost her son Ben in the disaster, said if they can prevent even one person from going through what they have "it will be worth it". 

Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse recognised for their fight for better health and safety practices. Photo / File 

"I don't want my son to die for nothing, so if something good can come out of it, he would like that too," she said. 

"He was a very pragmatic person, so he would be happy and proud." 

Osborne lost her husband Milton in the tragedy and said there have been lows as she's battling cancer and coping with a muscle-wasting disease. 

She said if her husband was still around, there would be everything from streamers to balloons at the celebration to celebrate her appointment – he would "go overboard". 

This year 19 people have also made the list for contribution to sports and recreation. 

As well as Marshall and Taylor, three Olympic rowers who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, Emma Twigg, Kerri Williams and Grace Prendergast, have been appointed Members of the NZ Order of Merit. 

So has Paralympian Holly Robinson after her gold medal in javelin which followed her silver medal in Rio 2016. 

Others appointed as Officers in the NZ Order of Merit include world champion shearer John Kirkpatrick, Rod Pelosi for his commitment to football administration and Des Peters for 41 years of snow sports. 

"I am so proud of all our honours recipients for their services both on and off the field," said Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson. 

- by Lincoln Tan, NZ Herald