David Farrar: The Judge should resign

The Post reports:

A district court judge and her reality TV star partner have apologised for “verbally attacking” Winston Peters, Casey Costello and other New Zealand First members at a Christmas party.

Chief Judge Heemi Taumaunu has also apologised on behalf of the court.

Judge Ema Aitken and intensive care specialist David Galler were attending an end-of-year bash for district judges at Auckland’s exclusive Northern Club last month, when they gate-crashed a private function for Peters’ party in a neighbouring room.

The rumpus started as Peters was making a speech. It’s alleged Aitken tried to enter the room and shouted: “He’s lying! How can you let him say that?”

So Judge Aitken was presumably drunk (it is worse off she was sober), gatecrashed a NZ First party and abused the Deputy PM – calling him a liar.

This would be terrible behaviour for any person, but for a judge it is fatally inappropriate.

A video clip from the party also shows prominent barrister, Michael Reed KC, refusing to stop taking photographs of NZ First guests, including Shane Jones’ wife Dot, despite strict club rules.

That is creepy.

Attorney-General Judith Collins, who is the Crown’s senior law officer, said she was aware of the incident and “appalled by it”.

“I have told the Chief Justice that such behaviour is completely unacceptable and I expect it to be addressed,” she said.

The appropriate way to address this is by resignation.

According to an incident report, compiled by an independent lawyer acting on behalf of Northern Club and NZ First, based on witness statements, Aitken left the dinner to use the bathroom and heard Peters’ speech as she passed.

The report says she accused Peters of lying, in a comment to Holly Howard, who asked her to leave.

“However, Judge Aitken continued to shout and make a scene … Judge Aitken then told Ms Howard that there was a room full of judges next door, and they would be very interested to hear about this,” the incident report said.

Threatening and bullying behaviour.

In the second video, the report reveals, Reed tells the staff member: “Don’t touch me because you will be sued for a lot of money.” He also tells him “Can you be quiet, can you be quiet?”

The sense of entitlement is high.

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.