Greg Presland writes:
She was recently at the Northern Club in Auckland, heard Winston Peters say something and responded by questioning the veracity of what he said.
Greg is trying to defend the Judge, but is making it worse. Because the Judge is now claiming:
“I did not realise that it was the deputy prime minister who was speaking when I made these comments, or that the event was a NZ First function,” she wrote.
So Greg’s version of events is one that the Judge is now denying. But you have to give him marks for trying.
The language being used against them is somewhat overblown and overdramatic. “Gatecrashed” is apparently having a look into a neighbouring room.
You enter a room you are not invited into, and yell out that the person speaking is lying. How is that not gatecrashing? If it was reversed and a NZ First MP went into the judges function and called them names, I’m sure Greg would call that gatecrashing.
Requiring them to never express a political opinion even when within the hallowed confines of the Northern Club is a bit much. After all I thought there was an unwritten rule that what happens in the Northern Club stays in the Northern Club.
Oh Greg is trying so hard here. There is of course a big difference between expressing an opinion quietly to a colleague at a function, and yelling out loudly that the Deputy PM is a liar. Not even Greg could possibly believe what he is saying.
And I hate to breach the secrecy surrounding the law profession but many lawyers hold very strong political views.
My first job was in a very conservative downtown lawfirm. I can recall clearly how the conveyancers and commercial lawyers were all deep blue National supporters. But amongst the court lawyers, those who took the administration of justice very seriously, were a number with progressive political views.
Greg once again shoots and misses. Of course lawyers have political views, as do teachers and accountants and engineers. So what. We’re talking about a judge, not a lawyer. And we are not talking about their private views, but their public behaviour in shouting their views out loud.
And as for judges I know a few who quietly seethe at what this Government is doing and what previous National Governments have done.
This is no surprise.
One of the top donors to the Labour Party is a former High Court Judge.
Does Greg know what former means? Did he donate large amounts while on the bench? No.
Others also hold strong views. I can recall as an example one Judge getting his clerk to pass me a note in a busy list court asking for contact details so that he could make a private donation to the Labour Party.
Astonishing. Greg doesn’t even realise what he is revealing – that a Judge while sitting in court got his clerk to arrange a donation to the Labour Party for him.
Suggesting that people at the top of their game who have invested a lifetime in pursuing justice should have no political views is absurd.
Again Greg is either very stupid or missing the point on purpose. Judges are allowed political views. They are not allowed to shout out that they think the Deputy PM is a liar.
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