Justice Stephen O'Meara delivered a deeply personal and reflective speech at the Trans-Tasman Bar Conference in Queenstown on 16 August 2024.
Titled "The Timeless Value of Insight and Wisdom," his address focused on the profound challenges faced by many in the legal profession, particularly around mental health. Drawing from his own experiences and those shared by others, Justice O'Meara underscored the importance of acknowledging and addressing the often-hidden struggles that come with a life in the law.
'...life at the Bar will always be marked by acute moments of triumph and loss – often in the same case, and even on the same day; some or even most of that we can’t do anything about… attempts to control it, or avoid it, or to pursue perfection, risk an uninhabitable desert in which you and perhaps others will perish...’