One of the nicest things about the holiday season is that it gives us time to reflect on things we are grateful for but, for one reason or another, haven’t expressed that gratitude over the year that has passed by so quickly.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my judicial colleagues who, throughout the year, have stepped up to keep the wheels of justice turning in the face of diminishing resources and expanding jurisdiction. Each of us is a small cog in a giant machine, and sometimes it feels we are taken for granted. This newsletter is a sort of peer-to-peer acknowledgement of the effort and goodwill judicial officers have put into the justice system over the year.
Life member and Past President Gerard Winter has asked me to introduce the Executive Committee. Gerard remains our touchstone and motivator. Not a day goes by when I ask myself, “What would Gerard do?” His wisdom and institutional knowledge continue to benefit JANZ and the wider judiciary. Coroner Mark Wilton serves as our Secretary Treasurer. Mark is the go-to guy for getting things done. Mark made our new Constitution happen. He is the antidote to procrastination. And of course, there is Noel Sainsbury, our President, whose wit, wisdom and erudition seem limitless, as is evident in his comments in this newsletter. Noel has his thumb on the pulse of our judiciary, and indeed, after his attendance at the IAJ conference in Baku this year, he shares with us his observations of other judiciaries and IAJ member judicial associations.
The IAJ represents judges from legal systems all over the world. The Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA) is somewhat more bite-sized, covering mostly common law jurisdictions in the Commonwealth. It was founded over 50 years ago to promote the interests of magistrates, district court judges and other limited jurisdiction judicial officers, but has since expanded to include all judges, including those with unlimited jurisdiction. It shares objectives with JANZ, including the promotion of judicial independence and the advancement of legal education. It works throughout the year maintaining a watching brief on jurisdictions where judicial independence is under threat, issues the Commonwealth Judicial Journal twice a year, and runs a judicial education programme. It also has really educational and fun annual conferences (this year’s was in Banjul, The Gambia; next year’s is in Montego Bay, Jamaica). The CMJA provides membership to individual judges as well as judicial associations. It is well worth joining. Individual judges can join here: www.cmja.org.
Finally, as the year runs down and the holidays approach, it is important to look after ourselves. Many of you will be familiar with the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Wellbeing, recently endorsed by the United Nations. The well-known Dr Carly Schrever, lawyer, psychologist and researcher on judicial well-being, has been instrumental in developing practical guidance on tangible actions and initiatives to support judicial well-being at an institutional level. Martha Roche, of the New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal, contributed to the guidelines for judges involved in immigration cases recently published here: https://www.iarmj.org/en/publications/iarmj-publications. A fascinating discussion of how the Declaration came to be can be found here: https://judicature.duke.edu/articles/the-nauru-declaration-a-milestone-for-judicial-wellness/. Feeling grateful maintains wellbeing. I think we can all feel grateful for the contributions we have made this year. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and may 2026 bring us health and happiness.
Vice President
Bill Hastings