Source: New Zealand Governor General
Rau rangatira mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi nui ki a koutou. Nau mai haere mai ki Te Whare Kawana o Tāmaki Makaurau. Kia ora tātou katoa.
I’d like to specifically acknowledge: Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann, Chief Justice of New Zealand, and Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister.
And to all our very distinguished international guests here this evening – including representatives from 15 Pacific Island nations, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. I’m delighted to note that Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, The Honourable Debra Mortimer, is in fact a New Zealander from Kaipara.
I understand that the last Pacific Judicial Conference to be held in Aotearoa New Zealand was over ten years ago, in 2014, when my predecessor, Sir Jerry Mateparae, hosted an equivalent gathering here at Government House Auckland. It feels especially fitting that this conference should return to Tāmaki Makaurau, this beautiful city, and one of the world’s most diverse, which has long borne the mantle of Polynesian Capital of the World.
Such a diverse and distinguished gathering no doubt brings with you an immense breadth of experiences, perspectives, and areas of legal expertise.
It was former American Chief Justice, Earl Warren, who once said: ‘It is the spirit and not the form of the law that keeps justice alive.’ As leaders of your respective and highly-diverse judiciaries, I’m sure you find yourselves grappling with many of the same issues: safeguarding judicial independence and respect for the rule of law; the opportunities and dangers of technology; ensuring diversity within the judiciary; geopolitical unrest; and the ongoing existential threat of climate change – all topics I’m heartened to note on the agenda for this conference.
Its overarching theme, ‘Strengthening the Institution of the Judiciary – Kia Tū Pakari ai te Whare Whakawā’, feels particularly apt in the face of such issues – acknowledging, as it does, that without strong and trusted public institutions, society loses its capacity to meet and overcome these challenges.
I trust that these days together afford an environment conducive to rich and challenging discussions, and lay the foundation for lasting relationships and productive collaboration across your judiciaries.
Throughout my own career, straddling both academia and the public sector, I recall how enriching and rewarding I found these kinds of gatherings – leaving me so often deeply inspired, and filled with a renewed sense of purpose as I returned to my role, whether leading a university, or advocating for the wellbeing of children and families.
In this next stage of my career, serving as New Zealand’s Governor-General, I have found myself with my own responsibilities in the application and safeguarding of New Zealand law: responsibilities I hold most sacred. They have also given me a new and profound appreciation for the judiciary, and the demanding work you do in the service of society.
The questions that you contend with fundamentally shape the world we inhabit and share: determining whether or not our societies are fair; whether or not people are treated equally, regardless of gender or beliefs or background; and whether or not our planet will survive.
I acknowledge, in grappling with these questions through the application of the law and your own scrupulous intellectual and moral standards, the great and often lonely responsibility you each bear. However, I have little doubt that you view that responsibility, and your service to your respective countries, not as a burden, but a privilege.
In te reo Māori, we have a whakataukī, or a proverb, which says: ‘Ka kuhu au ki te ture, hei matua mō te pani. I seek refuge in the law for it is a parent to the oppressed.’ I wish to take this opportunity to thank you, for all that you do as parents of the oppressed, and our societies’ upholders of goodness, fairness, and justice.
I also wish to once again thank Dame Helen – our own outstanding Chief Justice – for so graciously stepping into the Administrator’s role whenever I have been fulfilling my vice-regal duties overseas.
To those of you visiting New Zealand for the first time, I hope you have the opportunity to experience a little more of our country while you are here, and to spend some time exploring this beautiful city. In the meantime, I wish you all a most rewarding and enjoyable few days.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.