We have a difficult job. Daily, we operate within an environment of conflict and disagreement, working through heavy caseloads involving distressed, frightened, or traumatised people, and digesting accounts of dishonesty, tragedy, extreme violence, and abuse. The tip of our spear is the hard-grinding mahi done by our community magistrates. That cohort lost one of its best recently. Leigh, an early member of JANZ, was fair, compassionate, and sensible in her judgments, which were always well-reasoned and well-articulated. Here are two reflections.
Claire Ryan
CM Leigh Langridge died on 18 April 2022. She retired early in March when she became unwell. Her wishes were that there was to be no service and she was privately cremated. Most of us learned on Friday 29 April when we saw the death notice.
Leigh was at law school with me, although slightly older as she had come to law a little later. She was wise but never lofty, funny but never inappropriate, and direct but never discourteous.
Our paths crossed over the ensuing years and, after she and I changed jobs from being lawyers, I enjoyed working in courtroom 2 when she was in 1, with her carefully coded comments on charging documents transferred to my court, which told me exactly what was going on without making it too obvious.
I am sorry she is no longer with us. She certainly enriched the lives around her. I know she would never want a large production, but maybe we should honour her in some way.
Our commiserations to Philippa and all our CMs who are very dedicated and hard-working. We are lucky to have them carry a heavy load for us. They go about their work with little fanfare or fuss.
Philippa King
Leigh and I trained together with Stevan Cole as community magistrates in 2015. We were immediately bonded by the advice from MOJ that there was only to be two appointments made after the training and one would be left out. Fortunately, all three of us were appointed and we continued to meet regularly as a threesome for lunches, although in time Leigh’s preference for privacy and being left to “paddle her own waka” reduced the frequency. Stevan Cole has also since left, so I feel somewhat orphaned now.
I was reading her comments on some charging documents this morning, so clear and legible, leaving the follower in no doubt what her thoughts were without being prescriptive. She was fair, compassionate, and sensible in her judgments, which were always well-reasoned and well-articulated. I miss her and will always remember her with a smile.
Okioki I runga I te rangimarie e taku e aroha nei
Nō reira, e te kōtuku rerenga tahi, moe mai rā.
Gerard.