Speech
Pacific and Judicial Conference
Rau rangatira mā, e nga Kaiwhakawā o Te Moana-nui-ā Kiwa, e kui mā, e koro mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai rā ki Te Whare Kawana o Tamaki Makaurau. Distinguished guests, Judges of the Pacific, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all, and welcome to Government House Auckland.
I specifically acknowledge Hon Justice Helen Winkelmann, Chief High Court Judge of New Zealand - tēnā koe.
It is a great pleasure for Janine and me to welcome you all to Government House this evening. It has been a while since New Zealand last hosted the Pacific Judicial Conference, and it’s pleasing to see it return. More so because it is appropriate that a conference for judges of the Pacific is being held in Auckland which has the world’s largest Pacific population.
Your Honours, I note from your programme that the theme of your Conference is “Equal Access to Justice”. As Dame Sian made mention in her welcome statement, on line, “Substantive equality before the law is fundamental to the rule of law”. Both as the Governor-General and a citizen of this small Pacific nation, I advocate for ensuring we retain the rule of law which underpins our vibrant democracy and serves to preserve human dignity and fundamental human rights.
Connecting with and making justice relevant and accessible to citizens in a context of upholding the rule of law is, if you will excuse the pun, an arresting theme. At the heart of it are equal treatment and the notion of family. Each person who is affected in your jurisdictions is the member of a community and a family.
This year we mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations “International Year of the Family.” In Government House, we have taken as our theme for this year - “Families and Peace”. We are taking the opportunity to celebrate families and their achievements. We are also examining how we can help those families facing particular difficulties, so that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and secure environment.
And so, it is pleasing to note that this year’s Conference is giving special attention to young people and their interactions with the justice system. Young people are amongst the most vulnerable members in our communities. Young people having access to justice means they receive the safeguards due them, and yet in a form suited to their needs – whether as victims of violence, as witnesses, or as offenders. I would have been a very interested “fly-on-the-wall” at your sessions this morning on Youth Justice and Domestic Violence.
Children growing up today face very different challenges to the ones we faced when we were growing up. The pace of societal change, brought about in part by the velocity of technological advancement, is having a tremendous impact on the way they communicate and relate in our societies. And so how do you connect with young people where there has been a paradigm shift? When our generation was growing up our parents could rightly insist “follow my example because you are too young to understand”. Now, young people can reasonably assert “I won’t follow your example because you’re too old to know!”
How do we keep children safe in a world where everyone is online - where there are no boundaries? It’s difficult to monitor, manage, and or control virtual reality. In this context, it seems to me that one of the challenges that you are faced with is not just ensuring, but assuring young people that they have equal access to justice, and that the law is applied impartially, in the wake of Skype, YouTube, Facebook and smart-phones! And yet for all of us, these matters, while different in each jurisdiction, present significant challenges.
You will know we are not alone in dealing with them. I am heartened to see the exchange of perspectives and experience at this conference. For New Zealand’s part, I know that our judges and members of the wider justice sector are willing to share their knowledge, experience and expertise, and are equally willing to learn from others to address these challenges. Indeed, raising a child does take the whole Pacific community!
Your Honours, ladies and gentlemen that’s enough from me. Let me once again endorse the welcome extended to our guests by our Chief Justice and her colleagues and trust that your time at the Pacific Judicial Conference offers you much in terms of value and learning. Finally, please enjoy the rest of your evening here with us at Government House.
Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.