First International Judicial Wellbeing Conference held in Papau New Guinea (PNG) Plenary on Mental health and Judicial Effectiveness 8/20/2025.

August 20, 2025, was a seminal date in the area of judicial wellbeing. The first International Judicial Conference on Integrity and Judicial Well-being was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The title of this conference was "From Principles to Action: Advancing Judicial Well-being as the Foundation for Integrity, Resilience, and Public Trust." The themes of this conference revolved around the Nauru Declaration on Judicial-Wellbeing, the connection between judicial integrity and judicial wellbeing, psychological aspects of judicial wellbeing along with the impacts of judicial bullying and harassment, and the impact of technology and leadership on wellbeing. Present were judges from around the world, law students from both the PNG Law Schools, and other governmental officials.

Over three days, there were plenary presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions designed to spark discussion and an exchange of ideas between mental health providers, judicial officers, and other professionals from around the world on understanding the impact of judicial work on individuals and the effect on their personal and professional lives.

As judges go about their daily work life, the nature of the job is such that they are exposed to the entire gambit of the human experience. They bear witness to situations that are traumatic, while also dealing with the whole host of stressors inherent in the work. At the same time, they themselves are going through the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual experience of being a human, with the added pressure of many times doing so in both silence and isolation. Now, more than ever, society is recognizing both the gross and subtle levels of the work on these human beings and more effort being how to mitigate the effects of trauma and other stressors.

My first connection with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime was when I was contacted concerning a webinar for younger lawyers. The UNODC has a focus on educating judges on the importance of judicial integrity. Inherent within this concept is the notion of judicial wellbeing. I then wrote an article as part of the UNODC judicial integrity and wellbeing series.

On the opening day, I was part of a plenary panel on the issue of fostering a supportive environment for well-being. Along with Justice Kashim Zannah, Chief Judge of Borno State, Nigeria, Justice Adrian Saunders, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Trinidad and Tobago, Justice Alan Robertson, Retired Judge of the Federal Court of Australia and President of the Australian Academy of Law, we focused on the practical aspects of the work and its adverse impacts.

How humbling to be on the Advisory Council of the Global Wellbeing Research Hub, an incredible initiative by Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena, Dr. Carly Schrever PhD, Marie Cauchois Pegie, Dr. Joseph Sadek, Judge José Igreja Matos along with other dedicated professionals and supported by Australian Catholic University and St. Thomas More Law School from Australia. I also was appointed to serve on a panel to write commentary on the Nauru Declaration.

The mission of the Global Wellbeing Research Hub is as follows: "This initiative is a collaborative effort by an international team of advocates for judicial well-being. It is designed to support judiciaries, judicial associations, and judicial institutions worldwide by offering a freely accessible platform for conducting research. The platform features rigorously developed, expert-validated questionnaires and secure tools to carry out online studies on judicial well-being. By generating reliable, data-driven insights, this initiative enables judicial systems to implement evidence-informed measures that enhance the resilience, integrity, and overall well-being of judges—ultimately contributing to the delivery of quality justice."

During the time there, it was my pleasure to get to know several of the employees of the PNG Courts who were our liaisons during the conference. They were incredible people whose hospitality and patience made us feel very warm and welcomed into their beautiful country.

I am looking forward to continuing this relationship and deepening the connections I have made over the years with this dedicated group of professionals. I also encourage judiciaries to seriously consider using the tools developed to better assess the well being of their judicial officers and staff. #judicialwellness #unodc #judicialintgrity #judicialethics #globalwellbeingresearchhub #wellness #wellbeing #judicialwellbeing #thriving #flourishingasaspiritualbeing #dothework #emotionalintelligence #beaware #increaseawareness #flourishing #humangrowth #discoveryourpotential #visionquest #connectwithyoursoul #developthemind #developtheheart #thrive #flourish #stateofmind #awareness #thrivingnotsurviving #beaware #mindfulliving #mindfullife #mindfulmoments #mindfulness #fourdoorsofspeech #share #shareyourstory #authenticity #pngjudiciary #beauthentic #ubuntu #unitednationsjudicialwellbeingday