My experience of working under a coup in Fiji where life became so difficult and judicial independence was sorely challenged, taught me the value of collective support for judges and their families. The kindness and wisdom of judges like Sir Thomas Eichelbaum and Michael Kirby meant so very much as Katherine and I knew we were not alone.
That lesson proved so valuable again for the judges of the Yemen when I was asked to advise on their role as the country fractured around them. Sadly, it then became an essential duty to record their family stories of torture and assassination. Some were rescued, others were not able to be saved, but their stories are written. They, too, I hope, knew they were not alone.
At this Easter time, I am reminded of the phrase Dumas used as a rousing chorus for his musketeers. It was first recorded at a meeting in 1618 between leaders of the Bohemian, Catholic, and Protestant communities. Fleeing French persecution, a representative of the Protestants read a letter affirming their determined unity in the face of great difficulty, he said:
"As they also absolutely intended to proceed with the execution against us, we came to unanimous agreement among ourselves that, regardless of any loss of life and limb, honour and property, we would stand firm, with all for one and one for all ... nor would we be subservient, but rather we would loyally help and protect each other to the utmost, against all difficulties.”
We each come to judicial service with differing backgrounds and experience. We work in vastly varied situations, whether as a lone decision maker in a hectic court, as a trial judge guiding a jury through the criminal process, or a specialist judge resolving complex personal disputes for families or businesses or our environment, or as death’s auditor in our coroners court, or yet again as an appellate judge on a multi-member court reviewing decisions.
No matter what judicial role you have, we are in the same waka — we rise together, fall together, work together, keep going together. Ko Te Kaiwhakawā o Aotearoa e tu ngatahi ana tatou — we are the judges of New Zealand and we stand together.
JANZ seeks that unity in the belief that together, supporting each other, in a spirit of open-mindedness and collegiality, we may better serve our communities. We will pursue opportunities to enhance your judicial role and seek practical ways to support you and your whānau. We will support our heads of bench as they guide and guard us. We will be with you and yours from induction to retirement.
JANZ encourages times when we can just be together as a community of judges and family to share our stories. I encourage you to come along to our Triennial Conference functions, and, later in the year, our “after work” drinks coming up in Christchurch and Auckland.
We wish you peace. Nga manakitanga.
Gerard Winter