Justice Ellen France is a woman of few words when it comes to talking about herself.
But when it comes to talking about the law, she has plenty to say.
The New Zealand Court of Appeal judge was in Dunedin this week to give the New Zealand Law Foundation Ethel Benjamin Commemorative Address at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
About 80 people, including Dunedin lawyers and judges, attended the address.
Justice Ellen has an LLB (hons) from Auckland University and an LLM from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada.
Before being appointed to the High Court in April 2002, she was a senior legal adviser in the Department of Justice law reform division, Crown counsel and then deputy solicitor-general in the Crown Law Office.
She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in June 2006.
During her address, the 53-year-old explored discretionary decisions, particularly in the context of appellate review, and also spoke about the interrelationship between a diverse judiciary and the exercise of judicial discretion.
Justice France was the 15th woman in law to give the annual address.
Since 1997, Otago Women Lawyers Society has presented the annual Ethel Benjamin address, in honour of the first woman to be admitted to the Bar in the southern hemisphere in 1897.
Ethel Benjamin practised law in Dunedin.
The primary objectives of the commemorative address are to honour and preserve the pioneering spirit possessed by Ethel Benjamin, to encourage education and achievement in the women of today, and to stimulate debate about issues affecting social justice and gender.
Society convener Stephanie Pettigrew said the address coincided with the society's 25th anniversary, and a dinner was held at Forsyth Barr Stadium to celebrate.
