Why Judicial Well-being is Important and the Way Forward
31 October 2024
Online
The Thomas More Law School is pleased to announce a webinar titled "Nauru Declaration on Judicial Wellbeing: Why Judicial Wellbeing is Important and the Way Forward". Judicial wellbeing is crucial for maintaining an effective and resilient judiciary. For the first time, the recently adopted landmark Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being establishes seven principles aimed at raising awareness, acknowledging, and addressing the issue of judicial wellbeing. This webinar focuses on judicial wellbeing, its significance, and challenges while raising awareness in light of the Nauru Declaration.
The keynote presentation will be by the Honourable Justice José Igreja Matos, President of the Court of Appeal in Porto, Portugal, and the President of the International Association of Judges (IAJ) joined by an esteemed panel of speakers.
RegisterMs Sara Carnegie
Director Legal Projects
International Bar Association
Sara Carnegie is a barrister and has worked in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors for over 26 years. In addition to client-facing work, she has led 2 public inquiries, directed policy and strategy work, advised the senior judiciary, and sat as a judge on the Bar Disciplinary Tribunal for 7 years. She is now the legal director at the International Bar Association where she leads a team of lawyers, working with IBA members and external partners on a wide range of global legal projects.
The Honourable Lady Justice Jacqueline N. Kamau
Judge of the High Court, Kenya
Hon Lady Justice Jacqueline Kamau is currently the Presiding Judge of High Court of Kenya Vihiga.
She was admitted to the bar of the High Court of Kenya in 1993 and was a practising advocate prior to her appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Kenya. Upon her appointment to the Judiciary, she served as a member of the Integrated Court Management Systems (ICMS) and Mediation Committees.
She is a past President of the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA), a past Chair of KMJA-Coast Region and past Chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (K) Kenya. She has served as a member in the East African Judges and Magistrates Association (EAMJA), EAMJA Gender Sub Committee, International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) Kenya Chapter and the Project and Planning Committee.
She served on the conciliation panel of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for two (2) terms and was in the panel of International Commercial Disputes Tribunal. She also served in the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Child Practitioners Committees of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Governance Sector of Kenya Private Sector Association (KEPSA) and in the Board of Management of Mukerenju Secondary School.
She is a member of Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). She is also a Director of the Board of Strathmore Dispute Resolution Centre (SDRC), Strathmore University in Kenya. She is a Fellow and Chartered Arbitrator and an accredited tutor of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Her Honour Judge Kaly Kaul KC
Circuit Judge and the Founder of the Judicial Support Network
Judge Kalyani (Kaly) Kaul QC graduated from LSE in 1982 and was called to the Bar in 1983. She became a Recorder in 2009, was appointed QC in 2011, and became a Circuit Judge in 2015. Judge Kaul serves as a Tutor Judge for the Judicial College, interviews prospective judges for the Judicial Appointments Commission, and is an International Training Judge. She is also a mental health tribunal judge dealing with restricted patients. She holds the positions of Nominated Judge for Grievance and Whistleblowing, Diversity and Community Relations Judge, and Diversity Focal Point Judge. Further, she is the Chair and Founder of the Judicial Support Network and a member of the Judges Division of the GMB Union.
With 40 years dedicated to supporting diversity within the legal profession, she practiced in crime, where she was successful and well-regarded. After six years as a part-time judge, 2015 marked the beginning40 of the most challenging period of her life, impacting her health, financial security, and future. The adversity she faced was not unique; many judges experienced fear. Events in 2018 compelled her to strive for true diversity and fairness within the judiciary for future generations. In 2019/20, she was joined by a group of dedicated judges to form the Judicial Support Network (JSN) in March 2021, providing support and a voice to judges facing ill treatment related to disability, discrimination, appointments, advancement, or bullying and harassment.
In 2021, her litigation led the Ministry of Justice to acknowledge a long-denied duty of care to judges, significantly impacting current and future judges. Since then, the JSN has supported numerous judges facing various issues and has become aware of similar challenges faced by judges internationally. Some members initiated a Judges Branch at GMB Union, an independent large organization. In February 2023, when the Ministry of Justice settled her personal injury action in the High Court, a 'Statement of Expected Behaviour' was issued, marking a new beginning. Judge Kaul is a staunch believer in the independence of the judiciary, the oaths of office, and the Bangalore Principles. She advocates that the welfare of judges is crucial, as discriminatory behaviour undermines the Rule of Law and the Administration of Justice, asserting that judges must lead by example.
The Honourable Justice Lynne C. Leitch
Superior Court of Justice, Canada
Lynne Leitch graduated from Western Law in 1978 and practiced commercial law until her appointment to the Superior Court of Ontario in 1992. She was appointed a Regional Senior Judge by the Minister of Justice in November 2003 and served in that position until November 2009 when she was re-appointed as a judge of the Superior Court.
She is a Past President of the Canadian Superior Courts Judges' Association, representing all federally appointed judges across Canada, and former Chair of the Committee responsible for submissions on behalf of the Canadian judiciary to the quadrennial Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission. In 2016 she received the Association's President's Award for her service to the organization.
As the nominee of the Chief Justice of Ontario, she served two terms as Chair of the Federal Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee for South and West Ontario.
She has participated in international justice projects in Ukraine, Mexico, Peru, Jamaica, and Colombia and is a member of the Judicial Advisory Committee to the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs on International Engagement.
She chaired the Ontario Electoral Boundaries Commission established to review Ontario's federal electoral districts following the 2021 decennial census.
She is committed to judicial education and public legal education and frequently speaks at educational programs at the invitation of numerous professional organizations and institutions nationally and internationally.
Her contributions to her community were recognized in 2015 with the YMCA Women of Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement.
She is the President of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association and previously Chaired that Association's Gender Section.
She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Global Judicial Integrity Network - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The Honourable Justice José Igreja Matos
President of the Court of Appeal, Oporto Portugal
Hon. Justice José Igreja Matos is currently the President of the Appeal Court of Porto, Portugal, and serves as the Honorary President of the International Association of Judges (UIM-IAJ). He is an active member of the Advisory Board of the Judicial Integrity Network of the United Nations and holds the position of Vice-President of the Consultative Council of European Judges at the Council of Europe. His past roles include serving as the President of the European Association of Judges from 2016 to 2021 and as Director of the legal journal "Julgar." Additionally, he is an Associate Investigator at the Universidade de Coimbra. An accomplished author, Justice Matos has written and co-authored approximately a dozen books on judiciary-related topics and has lectured in over 40 countries across all continents, sharing his extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of judiciary.
The Honourable Justice Adrian Saunders
President of Caribbean Court of Justice
The Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice The Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Dudley Saunders, a native of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill) in 1975 and a Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad & Tobago in 1977. He began his legal career as a barrister and solicitor in private practice in his home country before being appointed as a Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) High Court Bench in 1996. On May 1st 2003, Mr. Justice Saunders was appointed to the ECSC's Court of Appeal and he served as acting Chief Justice between 2004 and 2005.
While at the ECSC, Mr. Justice Saunders developed a passion for and was deeply involved in various judicial reform efforts. These included the introduction of court-connected mediation in the Eastern Caribbean and the development of that Court's first Judicial Code of Ethics. He also served as Chairman of the ECSC's Judicial Education Institute from 2001 to 2004. His work in judicial education continued with The Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI). He earned a Fellowship of the CJEI in 1998 and, for several years was the Course Director of The CJEI's Intensive Study Programme. He is also one of the Institute's Vice Presidents.
In 2005, Mr. Justice Saunders was among the first cohort of judges to be appointed to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Mr. Justice Saunders has contributed greatly to regional judicial outreach and judicial education efforts. He is a founding member of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) and served as the organization's Chairman from its inception in 2009 to 2019. During his tenure as Chairman, in collaboration with UN Women, he played a leading role in developing and promoting the adoption of Gender Sensitive Protocols for Judicial Officers for various Caribbean judiciaries. Due to his active engagement in advancing judicial integrity, Mr. Justice Saunders was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Global Judicial Integrity Network by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration.
Mr. Justice Saunders' interests also extend to the area of court administration where he has adopted an active role in the CCJ's public education and strategy development initiatives. He led the development of the Court's first Strategic Plan in 2012 and chaired the project to develop the CCJ's Strategic Plan for 2019-2024.
Mr. Justice Saunders has written many legal articles and publications. He is a Consulting Editor of The Caribbean Civil Court Practice and a co-author of Fundamentals of Caribbean Constitutional Law. He also lectured part time at the UWI, St Augustine Faculty of Law on Constitutional Law.
At its 29th Intersessional Meeting in Port au Prince, Haiti, in February 2018, the Caribbean Community Heads of Government agreed to the recommendation of the Regional and Judicial Legal Services Commission (RJLSC) that Justice Saunders be appointed President of the Caribbean Court of Justice. He assumed the office of President on July 4, 2018.
Ms Tatiana Veress
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, UNODC
Ms. Tatiana Veress works as Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) where she coordinates the activities of UNODC’s Global Judicial Integrity Network as a global platform that aims to promote experience-sharing among judges and judiciaries, facilitate access to existing resources and knowledge, and identify and address emerging challenges to judicial integrity.The Honourable Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena
President of Court of Appeal, Nauru
Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena has a judicial career spanning over two decades across three Commonwealth jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region. His legal journey commenced in 1999 when he served as a prosecutor in the Attorney General's Department in Sri Lanka. By 2003, he had ascended to the bench in Sri Lanka. Later, Justice Wimalasena joined the Fiji judiciary, and in 2022, he was appointed as a Justice of Appeal in the Nauru Court of Appeal. He currently serves as the President of the Nauru Court of Appeal, the apex court in Nauru. Justice Wimalasena is one of the mentors of the Pacific Judicial Integrity Program, initiated by the Australian Federal Court to support judicial officers in the Pacific region. Additionally, he serves as a council member and international observer at the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration, which focuses on judicial research and educational programs in Australia. He has been a member of the UNODC Global Judicial Integrity Network, the Commonwealth Judges and Magistrates Association, the Medico-Legal Society of Queensland, and the Judges Forum of the International Bar Association.
Justice Wimalasena was the chair of the Professional Standards Advisory Committee of the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) in 2023 and served as the ICCBA Focal Point for Asia-Pacific States, as well as a member of the ICCBA Executive Council. During his judicial tenure in Sri Lanka, he was appointed as the Secretary of the Judicial Services Association in 2014, where he started initiatives to improve the physical and mental well-being of judicial officers through engagement in performing arts and other activities aimed at fostering a balanced mind and enhancing collegiality.
Justice Wimalasena's academic credentials include a Master of Laws specializing in International Human Rights, Children's Rights, and Women's Rights, and a Bachelor of Laws. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Policy and Governance from the Queensland University of Technology and is accredited as a mediator by the mediation centres in Singapore and Fiji.
Professor Patrick Keyzer
Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University
Dr Anne Pickering
Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University
Associate Professor Kunle Ola
Dean, Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University
Associate Professor Kunle Ola
Dean, Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University
Hosted on behalf of the Thomas More Law School
We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday
If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.