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Former IAWJ President, Susan Glazebrook, Attends IAJ 70th Anniversary Celebrations and 65th Annual Conference in Taipei.

This year's special celebration of the 70th Anniversary of IAJ and its 65th Annual Conference (September 16-21, 2023) took place in Taipei. Susan Glazebrook, Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and Immediate Past-President of the IAWJ, was an invited speaker by the IAJ and the Constitution Court.

Justice Glazebrook's speech, titled "Beneath the Blindfold: Responsive to Society or Caving to Pressure?" was presented on September 18, 2023, at the IAJ Constitutional Law Forum 2023: Judicial Independence and Constitutionalism. Her speech focused on two key topics: the delicate balance between acceptable public debate and criticism, which in turn threatens judicial independence and public confidence in the judiciary. The second topic addressed the potential tension regarding judicial independence from social pressure and the necessity for judges to better understand and be a part of the community in question.

On September 19, 2023, Justice Glazebrook was invited by the Constitution Court to speak at the Judges Academy on the topic, "The Challenges and Possibilities of Common Law Constitutionalism." Her discussion included four major recent cases of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, revealing different aspects of recent developments in New Zealand's constitutional framework. Justice Glazebrook's case examples spoke to the challenges and possibilities of common law constitutionalism.

The Chinese Taipei Chapter of IAWJ extended a warm welcome and greeting to Justice Susan Glazebrook, inviting her to participate in various 'welcome' activities. Senior Justice Peggy Pi-Hu Hsu, former Board member, and Asian Pacific Regional Director of the IAWJ, hosted a one-day Taipei city tour on September 17th. That evening, Tsai-Chen Tsai, President of the Chinese Taipei Chapter, hosted a banquet for Justice Glazebrook and her husband, with IAWJ Board member Mona Lynch also in attendance.

The IAJ Gala Dinner on September 18th was an overwhelmingly successful international event. Members of the Chinese Taipei Chapter made special arrangements for women judges, even those not members of IAWJ, to feel welcomed. Non-members' questions were warmly answered through short introductions, including explanations about IAWJ visions and core values. Justice Susan Glazebrook graciously visited each international table of women judges, offering warm greetings and remarks, demonstrating her support for IAWJ.

In more good news, it has been learned that several women judges attending this year's events plan to return to their home countries to set up Associations of Women Judges and then apply to become members of IAWJ.