[CALS-SAL] Fireside Chat: Equitable Access to Justice-Challenges and Prospects with The Right Honorable Dame Helen Winkelmann

The Centre for Asian Legal Studies (CALS), in collaboration with the Singapore Academy of Law, hosted a fireside chat on “Equitable Access to Justice: Challenges and Prospects” featuring The Right Honourable Dame Helen Winkelmann GNZM, Chief Justice of New Zealand, on 16 July 2024, at the NUS Law Wee Chong Jin Moot Court (Bukit Timah Campus).

CALS Director, Associate Professor Jaclyn Neo, chaired the session. In her opening remarks introducing CJ Winkelmann, she noted how “access to justice is a major foundation of our justice system” and learning from our fellow judicial systems about their initiatives in enhancing access to justice is key to responding to our own Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon’s call recently in his speech at the opening of the State Courts Towers to reimagine the courts of the future and to rethink better ways to deliver justice. In her remarks, Chief Justice Winkelmann spoke of the advancements made by the New Zealand courts to improve access to justice, including efforts to connect the courts to the community and to support a more representative and diverse judiciary. Her Honour also noted the need to adapt New Zealand’s legal system to better serve its communities, having regard to the country’s unique historical and social contexts.

Prior to the fireside chat, the faculty hosted Chief Justice Winkelmann to a meeting with faculty members and students, as well as a tour of our historic campus. This meeting was attended by Professor Ernest Lim (Vice Dean, Faculty Development), Professor Mindy Chen-Wishart, and Associate Professor Daniel Seng. Student representatives from the NUS Law Club who attended the meeting were Isabella Rotschaedl, Rebecca Wong Yin, Noah Tang Kaijun and Marcus Lee Jun Hui from the class of 2027. The Chief Justice was interested in the faculty’s new law and technology course, and heard from the students their views about the need to equip themselves with more technical knowledge.