Former High Court judge made honorary professor

7 May 2010

Justice David Baragwanath has been appointed Honorary Professor at the University of Waikato's Te Piringa - Faculty of Law.

Justice Baragwanath has had a long association with the university and the region. He sat regularly in Hamilton as a judge after his appointment to the High Court in 1995, and was a member of the university's Te Matahauariki Research Institute, which saw him involved in the writing of Te Matapunenga: a Compendium of References to the Concepts and Institutions of Maori Customary Law. He's also been a regular speaker at university events and represented Tainui and other Maori iwi in much of the Treaty litigation from the early 1980s to 1995.

Justice Baragwanath was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2008 and now presides in New Zealand and Samoa as well as being a New Zealand member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

"It's an honour to be made an honorary professor at Waikato. Having retired from judging in New Zealand, I've found there are still many opportunities to work in different spheres of the law," says Justice Baragwanath. "My links to the Waikato go back a long way, not just professionally but to my grandfather's time when he was an accountant in Te Kuiti, so being part of Waikato's Law School seems a natural fit."

He's a man with a vision for a truly cohesive New Zealand jurisprudence. "The abolition of appeals to the Privy Council requires us to take full charge of our legal affairs. We have the opportunity to embrace domestic and international dimensions of law, which touches all forms of human activity. Universities have a part to play in this, helping people realise the aspirations of the Treaty, respecting distinctiveness while creating one people. If we succeed with this locally, we can lead the world with an international model for resolution of racial and other differences."

Law School Dean Brad Morse says the appointment of Justice Baragwanath as an Honorary Professor is a wonderful development that will significantly enrich the life of the Law School for the betterment students. "He's already agreed to join the Editorial Advisory Board to the Waikato Law Review, to be a judge in residence for a week later this year and he'll deliver guest lectures as frequently as his busy schedule will permit. We're honoured to have him as a colleague."

The formal presentation will be made on May 14 when Justice Baragwanath visits the Faculty of Law to deliver two guest lectures, and the position of Honorary Professor will be taken up in August effective on his retirement from the New Zealand Court of Appeal.

Justice Baragwanath will be on campus this Friday, 14 May 2010 to deliver two lectures; University staff and students are invited to attend.