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Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer KC has had a rich and multifarious career in law and politics. A law professor before entering New Zealand politics as the MP for Christchurch Central in 1979, in Parliament he held the offices of Attorney-General, Minister of Justice, Leader of the House, Minister for the Environment, Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister. Since leaving politics in 1990 he has been a law professor, a foundation partner of a law firm, President of the Law Commission, chair of the Legislation Design Committee (2006–2008), New Zealand’s Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, and chair of the Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident for the United Nations in New York, amongst many other distinguished appointments.
The Symposium held at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in October 2022 in Geoffrey Palmer’s honour and to mark the University’s Governing for the Future strategic theme in the 125th year since the Victoria College Act 1897 was enacted, provided an opportunity for all who attended to think deeply and broadly about whether law and policy in a wide range of areas are fit for the future. In the essays in this book, eminent judges, scholars and politicians discuss themes that have animated his career in public affairs, including: constitutional government; democracy and its integrity; indigenous-state relations and te Tiriti o Waitangi; the environment and climate change; law reform and human rights.
Editors
Dr Mark Hickford, Barrister, Thorndon Chambers, Wellington
Hon Dr Matthew S R Palmer, Judge of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand
Contents
Law, politics, policy and government
Geoffrey Palmer
Some reflections on Cabinet government: A former minister’s perspective
David Caygill
The role of political parties in New Zealand’s democracy
Margaret Wilson
Safeguarding democracy through prudent anticipatory governance: the case of climate change adaptation
Jonathan Boston
Governing an unimaginable future
Simon Upton
Legal myth-takes and the Crown’s claim to sovereignty over Aotearoa New Zealand: The implications for New Zealand’s constitution
Claire Charters
Ultimate legal principles for Aotearoa New Zealand: The place of the Treaty of Waitangi
Alex Frame
Constitutional legitimacy and diversity: The value of pluralism and filling gaps in the common law
Mai Chen
Back to the future: Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s 'new public law'
Dean Knight
Legal change: 'reform', 'legality' and the (once?) 'political constitution'
Jack Hodder
The rights frame of mind
Helen Winkelmann
Bills of rights: “Nonsense upon stilts” or an enhancement of democracy?
Kenneth Keith
Some lessons for governance in New Zealand drawn from the global context
Colin Keating
Normative mismatch and the failure of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Jonathan Carlson
Cover illustration: Tom Scott
