[5] Hingston later attended Victoria University of Wellington, and graduated with an LLB in 1969.

[2] While on the court he made the initial decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, which eventually led to the New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy.

[8] As a Judge of the High Court of the Cook Islands, in 2004 he presided over the judicial recount of the Manihiki electorate which saw prime minister Robert Woonton lose his seat and his office.

[4][9] He also completed the Cook Islands' longest-running land-ownership case, which had been before the courts since 1908.

After retirement, he helped establish the Māori Party in 2004 and served as one of its co-vice presidents.