2027 International Judicial Conference on Integrity and Judicial Well-being, Cayman Islands
From November 4-6 of this year, there was a gathering of experts, judicial officers, lawyers, and other professionals for the International Judicial Conference on Integrity and Judicial Well-being. The theme for this year was “Judicial Well-being and Integrity: from individual resilience to institutional responsibility.“
There were excellent presentations, followed by incredible discussions during question and answer periods on this issue. Also the networking in between sessions and during has led to the development of new collaborations and the deepening of existing relationships.
I spoke on issues related to mindfulness
Key Takeaways From Mindfulness and Judges Session:
Well-being is a responsibility
Judges’ care for their own well-being supports the responsible exercise of decisions that affect other people’s lives.
Notice thoughts and reactions
Mindfulness helps judges attend to the present and recognize mental, emotional, and physical responses before they shape conduct.
Choose practices that fit
Breathing, meditation, and cognitive approaches can build awareness and reduce mental clutter without promising emotionlessness or relaxation.
Reflect with compassion
Self-compassion and daily reflection can support fair treatment of others and include court staff in recognizing meaningful work.
Meditation, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Techniques for Managing Judicial Stress
Central Thesis
Judges have an ethical responsibility to care for their well-being because they make decisions that affect other people’s lives. Mindfulness is not simply a way to relax under pressure: it helps judges notice what is happening in their minds and bodies, regain focus, and make better use of their judgment and wisdom.
Why Judicial Well-Being Matters
We discussed judicial stress as shaped by more than courtroom demands. Judges also bring their histories and traumas to work, face personal challenges such as family illness or addiction, and depend on organizational support.
I shared how after becoming a judge in 1999, after 15 years as a public defender, and receiving training focused largely on ethics and what not to do. Judges were not taught tools for supporting themselves from within. I also shared an anecdote about Justice Thomas from Australia, who reportedly said he retired early to “get a life while he had one,” using it to underscore the importance of health during a judicial career.
What Mindfulness Involves
Mindfulness is both:
Attentional: noticing what is happening in the present, including distractions.
Metacognitive: noticing one’s own thoughts, emotions, and physical responses.
I then illustrated the practice with a morning walk into the sea, where he watched his feet disappear into the sand. In court, he said, distractions can range from a long hearing or incoming messages to personal worries and fatigue from making decisions all day.
Mindfulness also involves recognizing emotions such as tension, sadness, or anger before they affect a judge’s conduct. Bottled-up feelings can surface in a remark or decision that seems harmless in the moment but looks different in the record and may lead to ethical problems.
Practices and Their Potential Benefits
I recommended finding practices that suit the individual rather than assuming one approach works for everyone. He discussed:
Breathing: Pausing to take five deep breaths can help a judge recognize and respond to stress, though noticing the need to pause can itself be difficult.
Meditation: Practices that focus and “corral” the mind may help judges analyze matters by reducing mental clutter.
Cognitive approaches: He cited Dr. Eve Ekman’s work on emotional balance and Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s Whole Brain Living as examples that can help people understand emotions, triggers, and reactions.
These practices do not make judges emotionless or guarantee relaxation. Their aim is greater awareness and attention. In his view, a less cluttered mind makes it easier to access the wisdom needed to apply law to facts and reach fair and equitable decisions.
Self-Compassion and Daily Reflection
We must emphasize self-compassion: recognizing one’s own humanity and giving oneself a break. It is not selfish and can make it easier to extend compassion to others.
He described ending the workday with his clerks and court staff by reviewing what they had done well and the positive effects of their work. I encouraged judges to reflect on whether they know the law, have kept learning, understand the facts, and have treated people with the qualities of procedural justice he named: listening, respect, and trustworthiness. He added that these practices should include court staff, not judges alone.
Implications
The message was that caring for judicial well-being is part of doing the job responsibly—not a luxury reserved for moments of crisis. Greater awareness, self-understanding, and compassion can support judges in serving the people whose cases they decide.
Amazing Conference with Amazing presenters and sessions!
The issue of judicial well-being has been in the forefront of discussions for many groups over the years, but there has been a ground swell of Support and action whose Genesis is the Nauru Declaration from a conference in the Pacific Islands in 2024. The protagonist of this movement and founder of the Judicial Well-being hub Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena who now sits on the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea. With the support of The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea Sir Gibuma Gibbs Salika, the first international conference was held last year in Port Moresby, PNG. This year’s conference built on what was learned last year and the result was moving from discussion to substance of action.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime through the efforts of Marie Cauchois Pegie has been extensively involved as there is an intersection between the lack of judicial well-being, integrity, and corruption. The efforts of her and her staff are changing communities around the world for the better. We heard from renowned experts, such as Dr. Carly Schrever PhD , Dr. Sally Ryan, and Dr. Joseph Sadek who shared studies and other information related to the results of several well-being studies coming from Australia, and sharing a deeper dive into the psychiatric symptoms that may manifest from working in a judicial space. Wellness experts and others doing incredible work to support judges in their communities such as Judge Sandra E. , Dr. Michele Statz, Judge José Igreja Matos , Judge Peter Jamadar , Sara Carnegie , Judge Shanaaz Mia, Chief Justice Adrian Saunders, Chief Justice Peter Angyalossy, Judge Colin Lindsay, Professor Terry Maroney, Justice Kashim Zannah, Professor Nathalie Cadieux, Ph.D. CRHA, Distinction Fellow, were among the speakers or facilitators.
I was blessed to be on a panel with one of the originators of this project, Judge Kaly ( Kalyani ) Kaul KC (who’s sharing moved the participants), Dr. Hélène Smit(who connected the theme of judges being like Swan, collected on the surface, but paddling like crazy underneath was very effective”, and Dr. Dr. Pragya Mishra(whose connection of ancient wisdom with modern day wellness was very insightful).
Oceans of gratitude to Chief Justice Margaret Ramsey-Hale, Cayman Islands, and the Cayman judiciary team led by Chanda Gidden for your support and hospitality.
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