Professor Jeremy Waldron | Parliamentary Recklessness

March 05, 2008

Are New Zealand’s laws being made too quickly, without enough scrutiny or debate?

In Maxim Institute’s inaugural John Graham Lecture in 2008, Parliamentary Recklessness: Why we need to legislate more carefully, Professor Jeremy Waldron examines how New Zealand makes its laws and whether Parliament has become too willing to sacrifice careful consideration for political efficiency.

Waldron explores the use of urgency, the absence of a second parliamentary chamber, and the influence of government over the legislative process. He questions whether New Zealand’s existing safeguards, including select committees, provide sufficient opportunities for scrutiny, debate, and public participation.

At the heart of his lecture is a challenge: how can we ensure that laws are made fairly and thoughtfully, even when we disagree about what those laws should be? Waldron argues that robust parliamentary debate and careful legislative processes are essential not only for making better laws, but also for maintaining public trust in democracy.

About the speaker

Professor Jeremy Waldron is University Professor at New York University School of Law, where he teaches legal and political philosophy. Born and educated in New Zealand, he holds degrees in philosophy and law from the University of Otago and a doctorate in legal philosophy from the University of Oxford.

He has taught at several leading universities, including Oxford, Edinburgh, the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton, and Columbia. He is the author of more than a hundred published articles and essays in legal and political philosophy, both contemporary and historical. His work explores theories of rights, constitutionalism, democracy, property, torture, the rule of law, and homelessness.

Professor Waldron is also recognised for his work in historical political theory, particularly his scholarship on Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and Hannah Arendt.

Professor Jeremy Waldron

Sir John Graham

Since 2008, the annual Sir John Graham has provided a unique opportunity to hear leading experts contribute to public debate in New Zealand.

Sir John Graham was an exemplary New Zealander who throughout his life displayed the consistency of character and care for others we hope for in the best of our leaders. Along with his well-known leadership roles as Captain of the All Blacks, Headmaster of Auckland Grammar, and Chancellor of the University of Auckland, Sir John inspired and led many organisations, including Maxim Institute.

Appropriately, he was recognised with a CBE in 1994 for his services to education and the community, and was further honoured when he was knighted in 2011. As a Founding Trustee of Maxim, Sir John Graham’s deep love for New Zealand, his passion for education, and concern for those on the margins of life remain at the heart of our work, and we are honoured to be able to hold this annual lecture in his name.

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