[1][2][3] He was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School, and went on to study at the University of Canterbury, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1967.

[1][2] After completing a period of compulsory military training, MacLean worked at his father's law firm.

[1][6][7] During his tenure, he presided over coronial inquiries into the Pike River Mine disaster and the Christchurch earthquakes.

[9] He sat on the Accident Compensation Appeals Authority from 2015 to 2018, and served as a member of the Parole Board until October 2021.

[10] In the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the judiciary.