‘Hair raising’ Stories From Farewell Sitting For Justice Simon Moore

Justice Simon Moore’s valedictory sitting at the High Court in Auckland was a celebration of his 44-year legal career, filled with laughter, roasts, and heartfelt tributes.

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The event, held in courtroom one, saw a packed audience of family, friends, and senior legal professionals gathered to bid farewell to the esteemed judge.

The proceedings took on a lighthearted tone, as requested by Moore himself, who asked for “a good old-fashioned roast” rather than a recitation of his distinguished career.

Robin McCoubrey, a senior Crown prosecutor, obliged by focusing on Moore’s distinctive hair, which once caused confusion at an airport e-gate. “The Australian immigration officer came over to help and offered him her sympathies: ‘Don’t worry sir, that often happens to people with a toupée'”.

Ron Mansfield KC, who once shared an office with Moore, recalled his first impression: “You were the first real posh person I met,” he said, before revealing that Moore’s school reports were actually quite average: “pleasing, but not impressive”.

Despite the jovial atmosphere, speakers couldn’t help but praise Moore’s significant impact on the law and those he mentored. Mansfield highlighted Moore’s emotional intelligence and compassion, stating, “Every great judge needs tear ducts. Many judges don’t [have them] – you do”.

Moore’s career saw him rise from a law clerk at Meredith Connell in 1980 to a High Court judge in 2014, handling some of New Zealand’s most high-profile cases. His masterful management of the Grace Millane murder trial was particularly noted, with Mansfield praising Moore’s courage in publicly supporting the defense counsel who faced criticism.

Grace Millane

The Millane trial evoked a fierce backlash against counsel for the defence, which argued that the murder had been an accident and the result of consensual rough sex.

Mansfield, who was part of the defence team along with Ian Brookie, praised Moore’s “masterful” management of the case in the media and his support for those who had come under fire.

“At the end of that trial, both defence counsel received extensive criticism for the defence that we advanced and for Ian that included threats, not only against him but against his children.

“You were aware of that. After sentencing, you held us back in front of the entire court, and you ensured that the media was present, and you complimented the defence counsel for the way in which they advanced the trial, telling the court very firmly that the defence was entirely proper. This wasn’t widely welcomed, as you know. It took courage and it got you respect – not that you needed it.”

Family Connections

In his own speech, Moore reflected on his family’s connection to the courtroom, calling it his “professional turangawaewae”.

He thanked his colleagues, friends, and family, reserving special gratitude for his wife, Jane: “You keep me grounded. You keep me in touch with reality… You gave up a promising career in food science to bring up our three boys and give me the space to indulge in what I love doing in the law”.

As Moore bid farewell to his legal career, he expressed his gratitude for the past 44 years, describing them as “the absolute blast that they have been”. His retirement from the High Court bench marks the end of a chapter, but he now looks forward to his new role as chair of the Electoral Commission.