Fri 5 Dec 2014 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Matthew Muir (centre) is sworn in by Chief Justice Sian Elias. Image: GayNZ.com. New Zealand's first openly gay high court judge was sworn in this afternoon, in a ceremony in which sexual diversity and the "momentous social change" which has occurred since male homosexuality was decriminalised almost thirty years ago were acknowledged. Auckland lawyer Matthew Muir was sworn in by Chief Justice Sian Elias before a packed invitation-only gathering at the Auckland High Court. Witnessing the historic occasion were senior members of the judiciary, gay attorney General Chris Finlayson and numerous gay friends as well as family and associates of Muir and his partner of 29 years, James Peters. "Your appointment increases the diversity of High Court Justice, Elias told Muir. "To those of us who have lived through momentous social change it can be too easy to forget how bad things were," she said, in a reference to the dark days before the passing of the bitterly contested Homosexual Law Reform Bill in 1986. New High Court Justice Matthew Muir (r) and his partner James Peters immediately after the swearing in. Image: GayNZ.com. "We have seen a social revolution in our lifetime," Elias, the country's first female Chief Justice, said. "The barriers are not yet all down but we have come a long way." She acknowledged Peters amongst those present and spoke encouragingly of the different life experience Muir will bring to the bench. In reply Muir spoke of the intense "prejudice and hostility" which emerged in opposition to decriminalising gay men. He was one of a group of lawyers who provided support to the Bill's authors and met Peters during the law reform campaign. "But we kept cool heads and played the long game," he said. He recounted his early life growing up on a farm near Port Waikato and his growing awareness of being different from most of his schoolmates. At high school he was drawn to "the well-resourced drama department... and musicals," he joked, "rather than cricket and rugby." He also spoke of his life "not being in tune with the expectations of my parents... and particularly their faith." In paying tribute to Peters, Muir described his partner as "wise, kind and humane" and "effectively the co-author of my life... I hope I can do him proud."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 5th December 2014 - 7:52pm