A written, codified constitution for New Zealand:
Is there a need that can be met?
The Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Distinguished Fellow, New Zealand Centre for Public Law, Victoria University
of Wellington. This lecture arises out of research by Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Dr Andrew Butler, funded by the New
Zealand Law Foundation, exploring what a codified written constitution for New Zealand would look like, given the
extraordinary number of sources necessary to source the unwritten or customary constitution. Sir Geoffrey is a former
Prime Minister of New Zealand. He practised law and was a law professor before entering politics in 1979, and returned
to both on leaving politics in 1990. In Parliament, he has held the offices of Attorney-General, Minister of Justice,
Leader of the House, Minister for the Environment, Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister. He has appeared extensively
in the superior courts, including the Privy Council. He has written widely on parliamentary reform and the legislative
process. This public lecture is the keynote address for the Symposium on Quasi-Constitutionality and Constitutional
Statutes presented by the New Zealand Centre for Public Law in partnership with the International Society of Public Law
and Boston College Law School.
When: 12 noon–1pm, Thursday 19 May 2016
Where: Lecture Theatre 3 (OGB LT 3), Government Buildings, 55 Lambton Quay, Wellington
RSVP: Email law-events@vuw.ac.nz by 12 noon, Wednesday 18 May (Limited spaces available.)
ENDS