Eric Francis Rothwell (31 December 1901 – 17 January 1991) was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who was Chief Judge of the High Court of Western Samoa from 1957 to 1960.

Rothwell's position was created in combination with Marsack, who was finding the work as a sole judge of a high court too onerous to be carried out alone.

[6] He went on furlough from the High Court in January 1960 when he was appointed to a commission of inquiry to investigate a large fire that occurred in Dunedin in December 1959.

[9] In late 1972 he was appointed to the Samoan court again for a temporary three-month term covering for a resignation during a period of high turnover of legal officials.

[1] After retiring as a judge, Rothwell was appointed in February 1975 as chairman of a commission of inquiry into an explosion and fire in Seaview, Lower Hutt, that occurred in September 1974.