Damien Grant: Should ministers be compelled by Waitangi Tribunal?

If we were to do a word-cloud for the Honourable Judith Collins KC, few would reach for ‘restraint’. She made her bones crushing the dreams of boy racers and removing one of the last pleasures for prisoners; cigarettes.

So. When I stumbled across a speech that Collins, now attorney general, gave to the Law Association, formerly the Auckland District Law Society, I didn’t pay it much attention. Nor did anyone else.

This is unfortunate. Some background:

Judith Collins KC: Speech to the Law Association

Thank you to the Law Association for inviting me to speak this morning. As a former president under its previous name — the Auckland District Law Society — I take particular satisfaction in seeing this organisation, and its members, in such good heart.

As Attorney-General, I am grateful for these invitations to engage you — practitioners at the frontline of the profession — in discussion about New Zealand’s legal and constitutional framework. That is, how powers and responsibilities are shared across our system of government.

Today I wish to speak about a topic that has been front of mind for me recently — comity.