Jock Anderson

Judges who jaunt the globe secretly at taxpayers’ expense can now be named.

Justice ministry officials, backed by Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias, earlier suppressed the names of judges who swanned off to international conferences on the public purse.

But following the intervention of the Ombudsman, officials were made to remove paper bags from the heads of junketing judges they previously refused to identify for what were claimed to be privacy reasons.

And while details of exactly which judge went where, when, for what purpose and at what cost, are a bit out of date it is still interesting to know, well…which judge went where, when, for what purpose and at what cost.

Officials released the names and details of judges who attended overseas conferences at the taxpayers’ expense for the financial years ended June 30, 2004 and June 30, 2005.

These details were initially requested in October 2005 and were released to this reporter, but minus the names of the judges, two and a half months later.

The justice ministry’s refusal to identify judges was referred to the Ombudsmen early in 2006. Judges’ names were eventually released to a newspaper this reporter previously worked for in June but the information does not appear to have been used.

In the two years to June 30, 2005, taxpayers spent about $165,000 sending 78 judges to overseas conferences. That is a bit more than $2,100 a head, which is pretty economical, considering that in many cases some travel and accommodation expenses were picked up by the hosts.

In those two years judges nearly doubled their attendances at overseas conferences and the annual cost to taxpayers rose from $62,600 in 2004 to $101,600 in 2005.

And from information released by the justice ministry it appeared only three judges had speaking parts at conferences, one sacrificed some holiday time in London, and Chief Justice Elias, while she likes flying in the lap of luxury, could be a swag and backpack girl when it comes to overnighting.

Most conferences were in Australia but Justice Tom Gault stood in at a chief justices’ conference in Japan in 2003 at a total cost of $4,247.60; district court judge Barry Lovegrove spent $1,704.71 to attend a conference on something called consolidated sustainable improvement in Miami in 2003 and also in 2003 district court judge Heather Simpson spent $832.79 on an international women judge’s conference in Uganda.

In 2004 chief Maori land court judge Joe Williams spent $1,440 as a speaker at a practical pluralism conference in Honolulu; Justice John Hansen clocked up $4,494.58 attending an international association of high administrative jurisdictions gathering in Madrid; district court judge Mike Crosbie spent $1,854.85 on a parolling authorities training conference in Orlando, Florida; district court judge Paul von Dadelszen spent $5,554.99 for three days at a family and conciliation courts conference in San Antonio, Texas; chief Maori land court judge Joe Williams, who appeared to give best value for money, took a speaking part in a council of Canada administrative tribunals conference in Toronto, clocking up $1,880 in daily expenses after conference organisers paid his travel costs and chief district court judge David Carruthers cost taxpayers $2,119.34 when he slipped into a commonwealth magistrates and judges association get-together in Jersey.

In 2005 principal family court judge Peter Boshier (a speaker) and district court judge David Mather clocked up $14,294.13 between them at a world congress on children in Capetown; district court judges Ian Mill and BHS Neal spent $10,275.39 between them at a national conference on juvenile justice in Orlando, Florida; district court judge David Holderness spent $4,513.97 at a national judicial institute conference in Vancouver; district court judge Dale Clarkson used some of her holiday time to attend a board meeting of international women judges in London at an economy price of $942.78; district court judge Paul Whitehead and principal family court judge Peter Boshier clocked up $12,403.42 between them going to an association of family and conciliation courts conference in Seattle (Interestingly Judge Paul spent $123 more on his airfare than Judge Peter but Judge Peter made up by spending $99 more on his accommodation than Judge Paul); and Justice Sir Kenneth Keith spent $9,991.46 going to a two and a bit day long worldwide common law judiciary conference in Washington.

Such skeletal spending breakdowns still manage to throw up the odd intriguing snippet.

Not many people would have known for example that when Christchurch district court judge Murray Abbott clocked up $797.45 attending a jury research seminar in Melbourne in November 2004 nearly $100 was spent on getting him an urgent passport.

Or that when Rotorua district court judge Phil Cooper dropped in on a Northern Territories magistrates conference and meetings in Alice Springs and Darwin for a couple of days in 2004 he spent a frugal $100.42 on conference dinners but lavished $821.81 on rental cars and taxis. Maybe Judge Phil enjoyed a few ‘roo burgers with his long days drive?

Not many people would know that for four days at a judicial conference in Adelaide in 2004 Chief Justice Elias, noted for her frugality and global network of chums, managed to spend only $492.20 on digs and expenses.

Mind you the same Dame spent $2,795 on air fares, which suggests a few cabin trunks of extra shopping and/or a cosy seat up the front of the plane. By comparison Justice John Hansen got all the way to Madrid and back for $1,654.42.

In the interests of satisfying legitimate public curiosity Caseload has made another Official Information Act request of the justice ministry to get the latest information on which judge attended which international conference, for what purpose and at what cost since July 1, 2005.

Watch this space.

And if you want fuller details of how the jaunting judges spent your money fire off an email to the Ministry of Justice care of Liz Sinclair, deputy secretary – operations and ask for judicial overseas travel to conferences data. Her email address is Liz.Sinclair@justice.govt.nz

Feedback on this story to jockanderson@xtra.co.nz