On Saturday, 11 January 2020 a silent march of all European judges took place in Warsaw, Poland to protest the Polish government policy in the field of justice and judicial independence. You can read the European Association of Judges’ (EAJ) president’s speech at the March of 1000 Robes in Warsaw here: Speech Warsaw
The courts of New Zealand, in common with many others, function in a changeable environment where predicting the future is difficult. I doubt many of you during your time on the bench will be as seriously challenged as our colleagues in Poland or face a Lord Faulks enquiry to bring the UK Judiciary to heel. But then who could have predicted the Covid-19 pandemic or its impact on our courts? Like many judicial institutions, over the next decade, our judiciary will confront challenges that must test our resilience. During these times, our interconnection, our unity of purpose, and our support of one another is critical, and so through our objects, we look to make connections at home and abroad.
JANZ seeks to bring judges together to support each other in a spirit of open-mindedness and collegiality that will kindle imagination and stimulate critical thinking upon the challenges we now confront and the challenges we have not yet seen. At our plenary session in Rotorua, where our association was crafted from a resounding mandate, we agreed that no judge should ever feel alone. JANZ believes that uniting judges allows for greater care of each other and our whānau from induction through our years in retirement.
JANZ will connect and support judges using a suite of member services including informal gathering times, briefings, mentoring and an online space with exclusive access to articles from ‘coaches’ on wellbeing, family, finance, health, and lifestyle designed specifically with judges in mind. You will also find the latest news from the New Zealand and global judicial community. You can see our website at janz.nz. In this month’s edition you’ll find plenty of art-related entertainment — including exhibitions at the Getty and new films to watch — judges in the news, an exploration of the stunning Earth Energies Sanctuary retreat, updates from our friends at ANZ Private, Fine Travel, and Lifetime. And we get to know Bill Hastings; plus much more.
We hosted an after-work drinks function in Wellington in mid-July. It was heartening to see the renewal of old acquaintances between the 36 brother and sister judges, acting and retired, who came along to share their company amongst friends and learn about JANZ. We hope to be in a town near you soon!
We would welcome your membership. All you need to do is email our administrator, Lara Wyatt, at lara@janz.nz, or write to us if you prefer. Lara will process your application and advise the annual modest membership fee, which ranges from as low as $80 for retired judges and members of our sister organisation, to $150 for full-time judges.
Gerard Winter, JANZ president