Recently, I visited our courts in Hamilton, Tauranga, and, last Friday, Christchurch. Following on from our first informal gathering in Wellington, we held the second of our after-work functions at the wonderful Isaac Theatre Royal. It was well attended. In recognition of his years of judicial service, I presented Peter Penlington with a Founders Cap.
I stand in awe of the Christchurch judiciary. When the only unchanging thing was change, when challenge was heaped upon challenge, guided by the clarity of enduring principle, upheld by each other, and at tremendous personal cost with a deep-hearted belief in their judicial service, they overcame. Your example is something to cherish. We are a young association. Our first steps have been to secure our longevity and ensure, in these days of great change and challenge, that your judicial independence is well understood, well respected, and very well protected.
Ka mua, ka muri is a Māori proverb that expresses a great truth about the challenge of change around a simple image. The image is of a person walking backwards into the future. It suggests the past is clearly visible, but the future is not — that we have imperfect information for the road ahead, but also that this is a natural state of affairs. Like our brothers and sisters in Christchurch, as we embrace the challenge of change we must stand together, shoulder to shoulder. So, connect and become involved, and join JANZ.
Next year we plan a September conference in Taupo as an add-on to the existing IJS ‘Wellness’ training. So, save the date now, September 24–26, 2021, bring your partner and either stay on from the IJS seminar or please simply join us for a relaxing weekend away. Or come and join in with the conjoint Australian / New Zealand judges conference in Auckland, October 8–10, 2021.
And in the meantime, bring a friend or your partner to one of our economic and financial briefings by ANZ Private. Also, look out for our series publication on the Survivors Guide to Retirement. In this month’s edition, you will find information about apps that are great for monitoring PTSD, the latest financial information from ANZ Private, information about term deposits and low interest rates from Lifetime, the latest news from and about the judiciary, books to read and films to watch, and a copy of the speech given by our Chief Justice on our need for continued growth and development to maintain relevance in this fast-changing world.
Nga mihi nui
Gerard
November 2020 letter from JANZ president