SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         Date of Report: August 22, 2002
                        (Date of Earliest Event Reported)

                       JOHN HANCOCK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

                        Commission File Number: 333-45862

          MASSACHUSETTS                                   04-1414660
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)


                               John Hancock Place
                           Boston, Massachusetts 02117
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                 (617) 572-6000
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




Item 5.           Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure

                  On August 20, 2002, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals issued a
         ruling in the case of Harris Trust and Savings Bank, as former Trustee
         of the Sperry Master Retirement Trust No. 2 v. John Hancock Mutual Life
         Insurance Company in which it reversed in part, affirmed in part, and
         vacated in part the previous U.S. District Court decisions in this
         case, and remanded the matter back to the U.S. District Court. As
         previously disclosed, in April 2001, the United States District Court
         had awarded the plaintiffs in this matter $84.9M in damages and
         attorneys fees. This judgment was subsequently the subject of an appeal
         by John Hancock. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals' opinion of August
         20, 2002, overturned substantial portions of the District Court's
         opinion, representing the vast majority of the lower court's award of
         damages and fees, and sent the matter back to the District Court for
         further proceedings. The matter remains in litigation and no final
         judgment has been entered.




                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       JOHN HANCOCK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


Date:     August 22, 2002              By:    /s/ Jonathan Chiel
                                                 ---------------------------
                                                 Jonathan Chiel
                                                 Senior Vice President and
                                                 Deputy General Counsel