According to Harvard Medical School, more justices now retire than die in office. In the early 1880s, more than 80% of justices died during their tenure. By contrast, only 11% of those confirmed in the second half of the 20th century died in office, and since 1975 only one justice — Antonin Scalia — has died while serving. Justices today are more likely to survive serious illness, and most now choose retirement over remaining in office until death.
Recently, Presidents Putin and Xi were reportedly caught on a hot mic discussing the possibility of immortality. Many people would like to achieve such a state, but as judges know, there is always a counterargument in all things.
The exchange was relayed by a Mandarin interpreter for Putin and a Russian interpreter for Xi, then translated into English by the BBC. Xi’s interpreter was heard saying in Russian:
“In the past, it used to be rare for someone to be older than 70, and these days they say that at 70 one’s still a child.”
After an inaudible response from Putin, his Mandarin interpreter added:
“With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live younger and younger, and even achieve immortality.”
Xi’s interpreter then said:
“Predictions are, this century, there’s a chance of also living to 150 [years old].”
While many people would like to improve longevity, that desire usually comes with an important condition: quality of life. Being healthy is vital to vitality, yet the definition of health is both objective and subjective, making it difficult to define completely. The politician’s promise of free healthcare for everyone is something of a mirage. Part of our current health system woes lies in the fact that no meaningful boundary has been placed on what we can realistically expect. What one person considers healthy, another may call unhealthy.
For example, a health-funded trip to Fiji staying in a five-star hotel might suit The Writer’s health at this time — and probably yours too — although our behaviour while away may not. (Dengue fever, of course, not alcohol poisoning.) Prevention is the cornerstone of health, but the real question is this: can free healthcare for all truly be funded or delivered, even if promised or legislated? And if so, can prevention ensure the quality of health to which we aspire before we expire?
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated in 1948:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Not all citizens want to be immortal. Worldwide, around 750,000 people each year die by suicide. Most are physically healthy, and all have reason to live, though sadly society has not always made those reasons clear enough. A number of years ago, MP Peter Dunne called an urgent “think tank” of eminent New Zealanders to create a Suicide Prevention Template so the government could implement an action plan to reduce the rising number of young people — many of them otherwise healthy — taking their own lives.
The late Judge Mick Brown, who as a child suffered tuberculosis in his knee and rehabilitated at Wilson Home for Crippled Children, was one of those co-opted to the group. A ten-point plan, based on experience, was developed and ranked from most to least likely to work before being presented to Parliament for action. You may have guessed the outcome, but The Writer will not state it here, as one should always aim to exhibit positivity and offer hope when discussing suicide. Notwithstanding that, it is clear that not all parties strive for longevity.
Assisted Dying also features in any discussion about longevity. While it is at the forefront of many New Zealanders’ minds, it is not as universal as we may think. Only 18 countries have legislated for Assisted Dying, and in some of those it is only available state by state. Worldwide, around 30,000 people avail themselves of such support each year, out of a global population of 8.142 billion (2024).
Overall, it appears that most people want to live long, not die young. However, there are also forces at work that remove choice altogether — not just the choice to die, but the choice to live fully and healthily. A staggering 436,000 murders occur annually around the world. For these victims, the right to choose longevity is removed entirely. Judges, in turn, are commissioned to anchor and reduce such statistics through the justice system.
Even without outside interference, external youth remains a distant horizon. Over the past decade, New Zealand’s life expectancy rate has been reducing. In the next few years, it is forecast that 624,120 New Zealanders will be over the age of 70 — around 12% of the population. That is a significant attrition rate, though still better than many countries. Analysis varies, but consensus suggests that, out of 229 countries, New Zealand ranks 128th best. Ukraine is among the worst affected and is roughly three times worse than New Zealand, yet New Zealand is also around three times worse than many Arab states for deaths per 1,000 people. So how do we improve?
Now this may be a bitter pill to swallow, but when it comes to longevity, reading about exercise on a tablet and then actually getting moving is a better drug than gulping a tablet. The British Journal of Pharmacology has published the following:
“Exercise is so beneficial for health that it should be considered as a drug. As for any other drug, dosing is very important. Otherwise, unfavourable side effects may occur. Some of the favourable effects of exercise apply to the general population. Prominent amongst these are its role in prevention of many diseases and in the promotion of healthy longevity… But exercise can also be considered as treatment of established diseases. These include commonly occurring conditions such as depression, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.”
Pharmac’s annual budget sits at around NZ$1.69 billion, which is a lot to digest. When we compare that with the value of exercise, the dichotomy between New Zealand’s health spending and New Zealand’s health outcomes becomes a political exercise in itself. Should New Zealand finally rationalise its fragmented and imbalanced health system spending, and focus more on dedication rather than medication? Judges, be alert: Robert F. Kennedy Jr, now US Secretary of Health, is challenging orthodoxy in ways that may well ripple into Aotearoa.
On this subject, most experts in movement do not sit on the fence. They may be hesitant to make broad pronouncements because each patient’s needs are unique, but one thing is increasingly unshakable: the best drug for longevity is exercise. No longer a quiet secret, it is emerging across medical research as indispensable.
Whether or not you choose to exercise your right to advance “past go” is up to you. There is no monopoly on who may avail themselves of the number one drug for longevity, or on the degree to which they may partake — though, by location, perhaps a few of your clients are a little restricted. But not you.
Conversely, proof of life’s brevity can also be tied to the misuse of force. Ukraine stands as a stark example of one man flexing his muscles and shortening the longevity of millions. It is a reminder that attitude and action both matter — in personal health, in public life, and in the daily work judges must do in discerning and delivering for society’s health, longevity, and perhaps even their own.
“Your health account and your bank account are the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out.”
— Jack LaLanne