Posts Tagged ‘Arowhenua Marae’

Bringing tikanga Māori into the courtroom

“When I came to leave high school, the deputy principal called me into the office and said, ‘What are you going to do?’ I said, ‘I don’t know’, and he said I should go into the army.”

But Quentin said he couldn’t be bothered getting up early in the morning and shining his shoes. The deputy principal asked what he did want to do, and his flippant answer at that young age was that he just wanted to make money.

“His response was to be a doctor or lawyer. I said, ‘I can’t be bothered getting up early in the morning and delivering babies, so I’ll go lawyer then.’”

He laughs about that little exchange now, with many years of success in the profession behind him. As one of the country’s newest judges, Quentin is now on a mission to bring his own personal style to the District Court.

Wahine Fashionista

Designer Amber Bridgman is the wahine behind KAHUWAI, a clothing line that explores identity and whakapapa through its unique Māori influence. Earlier this year, Amber shared her work with the world when she had the opportunity to participate in the Melbourne Fashion Festival. Alice Dimond spoke to Amber about her life, her work, and the designs that launched a successful career in the fashion industry.