Judge & Peters Incident: 3 Banned From Auckland’s Northern Club

Three individuals involved in a November 2024 incident at Auckland’s Northern Club, involving District Court Judge Ema Aitken and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, have been barred from returning to the venue, the club’s president has confirmed.

In a newsletter to members on Saturday, Northern Club president Dr. Arthur Morris stated the club had been subject to media attention regarding the incident, which occurred during a New Zealand First party fundraiser on November 22, 2024. Morris confirmed that a committee had conducted a “thorough investigation” and determined the three individuals were not members of the club. “Steps were taken by the committee at the time to ensure that they do not enter the club again. This type of behaviour is unacceptable within our clubhouse, especially towards our staff,” he wrote.

Judge Aitken was accused of disrupting the fundraiser by allegedly calling then-Deputy Prime Minister Peters a “liar” while he was speaking. She has since acknowledged her behaviour was “rude” but disputed claims she shouted at Peters, according to reporting by RNZ. The incident triggered an unprecedented hearing before a Judicial Conduct Panel.

The panel’s proceedings have examined not only Judge Aitken’s conduct but also the behaviour of her husband, intensive care specialist Dr. David Galler, and barrister Michael Reed KC, according to 1News. The NZ Herald reported that the panel was scheduled to visit the Northern Club to gather further information, but Judge Aitken was not permitted to accompany them.

Judge Aitken is currently challenging the referral to the Judicial Conduct Panel, arguing the initial recommendation lacked adequate reasoning and a clearly defined scope of inquiry, RNZ reported. She stated she mouthed a comment after hearing a portion of Peters’ speech concerning the teaching of tikanga at law school, but did not recognize his voice or realize a political function was underway.

The panel is expected to submit its recommendation to acting Attorney-General Paul Goldsmith by April. Goldsmith will then decide whether Judge Aitken should be removed from the bench – a step that would be unprecedented in New Zealand legal history.

Asked for comment on the Northern Club’s decision, Judge Aitken’s lawyer, David Jones KC, stated he had no comment to make.