![\"District](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4JTHHEO_Judge_Ema_Aitken_jpg.jpeg\")
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\nDistrict Court Judge Ema Aitken (centre) at the Judicial Conduct Panel on Monday.
\nPhoto: Finn Blackwell \/ RNZ\n<\/p>\n
A district court judge described as one of the best on the bench, has had her behaviour scrutinised by a Judicial Conduct Panel this week.<\/p>\n
Judge Ema Aitken is before the panel accused of yelling at Winston Peters during an event at Auckland’s Northern Club in 2024, calling him a liar.<\/p>\n
She argues she did not yell, did not recognise Peters, and did not know it was a political event.<\/p>\n
The panel hearing, which began earlier this, heard from district court judges on Friday who were there on the night of the alleged disruption.<\/p>\n
They had been called after Special Counsel for the Inquiry requested the panel ask them to appear and give evidence.<\/p>\n
Judge David McNaughton was among those sat at Judge Aitken’s table during a dinner of other judges and their partners.<\/p>\n
He told the panel no one at the table was drinking to excess that night, with the “possible exception” of lawyer Michael Reed, KC.<\/p>\n
Reed had been captured on video<\/a> trying to photograph inside the NZ First event, despite being told not to.<\/p>\n Judge McNaughton read from his letter prepared for the Judicial Conduct Commissioner, but noted some of the words were not his.<\/p>\n “It’s not phrased exactly as I originally had,” he said.<\/p>\n “Some of this phrasing is not mine.”<\/p>\n He said there had been a panic to have the letter sent to the commissioner by deadline, and he signed it on a busy working day.<\/p>\n “It was emailed to me, it was a working day, I was very busy, I quickly read it, and signed it, and emailed it straight back because it had to go, I think, that day or the next day.”<\/p>\n Judge McNaughton had high praise to give Judge Aitken before the panel.<\/p>\n “I think she is one of the best judges on our bench,” he said.<\/p>\n “Her judgements are sound, they’re well reasoned, her reserve judgements are usually immaculate, of a very high standard.”<\/p>\n The judge would make an excellent High Court judge, Judge McNaughton said.<\/p>\n “In some ways, she was too good to be a district court judge, that’s my personal view of her.”<\/p>\n But by her own admission the day prior, the judge said she had acted rudely.<\/p>\n “I cannot really explain why I responded like this, other than that I was tired, and the speaker’s statement was so palpably wrong,” Judge Aitken said.<\/p>\n “It was reactionary, and rude of me which is not consistent with my character or reputation, I am not normally rude or intrusive in any setting.”<\/p>\n Another member of the bench, Judge Pippa Sinclair told the panel she had also been at a table with Judge Aitken, while the NZ First event was taking place in another part of building.<\/p>\n She recalled Judge Aitken coming back to the table at one point in the night, telling her she had called out Winston Peters.<\/p>\n “Sometime around the main course being served, Judge Aitken came back to the table and said ‘I’ve just told Winston Peters’, and I quote ‘he’s lying,’ and I further quote, ‘how could he say that,’ in response to him discussing tikanga in the law schools,” she said.<\/p>\n “Judge Aitken then said she realised it was Mr Peters when she saw a person whom she recognised and then, and I quote ‘clicked,’ it was Casey Costello.”<\/p>\n Judge Aitken told the panel on Thursday she had been at the club after a challenging day at court when she overheard comments about Tikanga M\u0101ori law overriding the Westminster system being taught in law schools.<\/p>\n