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Gerard Winter
Why Prisonmade?

I’ve written before about my visit to the remarkable Bastøy prison island in Norway. Bastøy is a low-security, male-only prison, which lies about 75km south east of Oslo. The 2.6km2 island hosts 115 inmates making it the largest low-security prison in Norway. Now, my son, James, from Oslo, supplies his green coffee beans into the ‘Prisonmade’ organisation run by the Norwegian Correctional Service He recently visited their roastery to help train inmates. 

Why Prisonmade?
Gerard Winter
“It doesn’t have to be true. It just has to be ...

The end of July was very busy for me as I had to leave Fiji and give a keynote address in Washington DC on judicial independence before racing home to turn the sod on the new Papakura courthouse. A former republican congressman and ‘in law’ of mine made this meeting possible. It was huge! He told me this story. 

“It doesn’t have to be true. It just has to be believed.”
JANZ
The importance — and hidden wisdom — of doing ...

The real turning point doesn’t come when you’re able to sit still for 10 or 15 minutes. It comes when you begin to enjoy and appreciate those minutes. That’s when the voice of nondoing has started to reach you.

The importance — and hidden wisdom — of doing nothing
Gerard Winter
Free Speech in Cuba… (Street)

These are unhappy times for those of us who believe in free speech. Bedraggled after years of wearying culture war battles and cancellation, we now confront strange new threats on every side. Just last month, UK police raided a Quaker meeting house to arrest six women who had gathered to eat hummus and “discuss climate change and Gaza”.

Free Speech in Cuba… (Street)
Gerard Winter
Everyday joy of marriage is hard to beat

This has been an exhausting marriage month. Son number 3, Angus, was married to Hannah in the incredibly old St Patrick’s church at Mākara by retired judge Pat Grace. The blend of families gathered from afar turned out all right in the end.

Everyday joy of marriage is hard to beat

On the importance of language and inclusion

On the importance of language and inclusion

What becomes a problem is when we insist that there is one language in which we can communicate justice. Often, it just so happens to be with the language, or the art, or the culture, or the humour that we inherited and comfortably understand. While there is this one law for all, there are countless ways of understanding it. There are countless images and words and music and culture that serve to tell that justice story whether in Spanish colonies or Aotearoa. 

The court of chatbot

The court of chatbot

In case you hadn’t noticed, everyone is talking about robots. Actually, one robot in particular. Last November, the public was introduced to ChatGPT, and we began to imagine a world in which we all have a brilliant personal assistant, able to write everything from computer code to condolence cards. And last week, experts said AI poses the same threat as nuclear wars and pandemics. Our Chief Justice, following wise advice, issued a cautionary interim guidance on AI platforms. JANZ dives into the world of generative AI and the law.

Pomp and glory land

Pomp and glory land

King Charles III was crowned at Westminster on Saturday in a service steeped in tradition and history, with modern touches reflecting the sovereign’s style. Just think, it was 70 years ago when the young Prince stood in the royal box at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953 – bored and unimpressed – watching his own mother’s, Queen Elizabeth II, coronation ceremonies. In the image above he’s shown flanked between Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother and Princess Margaret Rose. 

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