Event

Honourable Judge Victor Reyes

Judge Victor Reyes served as a District Judge from January 1999, through December 31, 2014 in the 10th Judicial District located in Pueblo, Colorado. He has presided over, Criminal, Civil, County Court Appeals, Probate, Domestic, Restraining Order, Juvenile and Dependency and Neglect matters. Judge Reyes was also served as the judicial liaison on the Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board and the Colorado Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee. Before He served as a Deputy State Public Defender for the State of Colorado for 15 years where he also provided training.

From October of 2021 through January of 2023, Judge Reyes served as the Judge in Residence for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). At NCJFCJ, he was involved with the Judicial Wellness Initiative, specifically hosting the Monday Morning Moments Wellness webinars along with leading wellness sessions at conferences and a judicial retreat held in California. Judge Reyes also participated in nationwide training, developing curriculum, and writing on all aspects of the law that impacts children, their families, and victims of domestic violence. He has written presentations on Compassionate Leadership, Engaged Justice, and Implied Bias.

Since 2002, Judge Reyes has facilitated international and nationwide trainings to a variety of groups and organizations on issues related to mindfulness, every aspect related to domestic violence, the effects of vicarious trauma on judicial officers, and compassionate judicial leadership. He provided the training on domestic violence for Colorado Judges, Judges from almost every state and Puerto Rico, and members of the community both in Pueblo and around the country. He has testified before both houses of the Colorado Legislature on DV related legislation. He has served as faculty for the NCJFCJ, the National Judicial College and the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence. Also Judge Reyes has trained Judges from the Ukraine on the issue of Domestic Violence and has participated in judicial well-being and judicial integrity webinars sponsored by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. Judge Reyes has trained judges from Costa Rica, South Korea, South Africa, the United States Army, The United States Immigration Judges and across the United States on the issue of Judicial well-being and more specifically, tools to increase resilience.

Judge Reyes facilitates discussions on issues related to self-respect and self-compassion at the Youth Offender System, facilitates a weekly life skills session for incarcerated people and yoga at La Vista Correctional Facility-Colorado Department of Corrections. Judge Reyes also leads yoga/mindfulness classes and the Federal Bureau of Prisons-Camp, STAGES Program at United States Penitentiary in Florence and ADMAX(Supermax) as well as several venues in Pueblo. He has provided Mindfulness training for the Nevada Dental Association, the Pueblo Fire Department and the City of Pueblo. Judge Reyes is certified in Life Coaching and Master Life Coaching. He also has a substitute teacher license and facilitates groups at elementary schools in Pueblo, Colorado.

He is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Judge Reyes serves on the boards of the Prison Yoga Project, the Supervised Visitation Network and the Siddhartha School Project.

Ms. Marie Pegie Cauchois

Ms. Marie Pegie Cauchois joined the UNODC Office in the Pacific in 2021 as Head of Office and Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser. She leads the UNODC Office, overseeing programs on Anti-Corruption, Transnational Organized Crime, Cybercrime, Maritime and Wildlife Crime, Anti-Money Laundering, and Trafficking across 14 Pacific Island nations.

In her anti-corruption role she supports 14 Pacific Island countries (PICs) in promoting and strengthening measures to prevent and fight corruption, in line with the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Pacific Vision against corruption, the Teieniwa Vision.

She has worked for the UN since 2012, first in UN Peace Keeping operations in South Sudan, Afghanistan, Central African Republic (CAR) and Somalia. In DPKO, she worked on rule of law strengthening, legal aid and access to justice and supported the operationalizing of the Special Criminal Court (hybrid criminal court for war crimes) in CAR. She then joined UNODC in 2017 and worked in Myanmar as Deputy Country Manager and Anti-Corruption Programme Manager. Before joining the UN, Ms. Pegie Cauchois worked in Vanuatu with AusAid/Australian Federal Police project, Transparency International and the Vanuatu Prime Minister's Office. Ms. Pegie Cauchois has a Master degree in International Public Law from Melbourne University and a Master degree in International Private Law from Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne.

Hon. Justice Lynne Leitch

The Honourable Justice Lynne Leitch graduated from Western Law in 1978 and practiced commercial law until her appointment to the Superior Court of Ontario in 1992. She was appointed a Regional Senior Judge by the Minister of Justice in November 2003 and served in that position until November 2009 when she was re-appointed as a judge of the Superior Court.

She is a Past President of the Canadian Superior Courts Judges' Association, representing all federally appointed judges across Canada, and former Chair of the Committee responsible for submissions on behalf of the Canadian judiciary to the quadrennial Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission. In 2016 she received the Association's President's Award for her service to the organization.

As the nominee of the Chief Justice of Ontario, she served two terms as Chair of the Federal Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee for South and West Ontario.

She has participated in international justice projects in Ukraine, Mexico, Peru, Jamaica, and Colombia and is a member of the Judicial Advisory Committee to the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs on International Engagement.

She chaired the Ontario Electoral Boundaries Commission established to review Ontario's federal electoral districts following the 2021 decennial census.

She is committed to judicial education and public legal education and frequently speaks at educational programs at the invitation of numerous professional organizations and institutions nationally and internationally.

Her contributions to her community were recognized in 2015 with the YMCA Women of Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement.

She is the President of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association and previously Chaired that Association's Gender Section.

She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Global Judicial Integrity Network - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Hon. Chief Justice SIR GIBUMA GIBBS SALIKA GCL KBE CSM OBE

Born on the 11th August 1955 at Umniao hamlet, South Fly District, Western Province of Papua New Guinea. After completing Primary and Secondary education in his South Fly District from 1969 to 1972, he attended Sogeri National High School in 1973 to 1974. Attended University of Papua New Guinea from 1975 to 1978 graduating with a Bachelor of Laws Degree. Completed Legal Training Institute in 1979 and was admitted to the bar in October 1979, and went on to work as a Legal Officer with the Office of the Public Prosecutor. He was a State Prosecutor for 6 and a half years. He then moved to PNG Ombudsman Commission as its Counsel in 1986. In 1988, appointed Principal Magistrate and later in December 1989, appointed an Acting Judge of the National Court for 6 months. Was made a substantive Judge in June 1970. He has served PNG for a total period of 41 years, 10 of those as a lawyer and Magistrate and 31 years as a Judge. Was made a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Appointed Chief Justice of PNG in 2018.

He is married with five children. He is an elder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Dr Carly Schrever

Dr Carly Schrever is a lawyer, psychologist, empirical researcher. She has worked in and around the legal profession and the courts for 20 years, focusing specifically on judicial and lawyer wellbeing since 2015.

Carly's doctoral project through the University of Melbourne was Australia's first empirical and psychologically grounded research into the sources and nature of work-related stress among the Australian judiciary. This research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks, and the findings presented to judicial audiences around the globe. Through her psychological consultancy, Human Ethos, she has been engaged by jurisdictions in Australia, Asia, Africa, North America, the UK and the Pacific to design and deliver tailored wellbeing programs for the local judiciary.

In 2024, Carly worked in an international committee of judges to draft the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Wellbeing - a statement of universal principles to guide judicial wellbeing reform globally. Since 2022, she has been a Principal Investigator on an Australia Research Council-funded national research project on judicial wellbeing across Australia, with findings expected to be published in 2026. She is also an Associate Professor (Principal Research Fellow) in Law at the University of Western Australia.

Hon. Chief Justice Bryan Sykes

The Honourable justice Bryan Sykes is the Chief Justice of Jamaica, having been appointed in an acting capacity on February 1, 2018, and confirmed on March 1, 2018. A distinguished legal professional, he is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (LLB) and the Norman Manley Law School.

Justice Sykes began his career as a prosecutor, serving from 1986 until 2002, when he was appointed to act as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Jamaica. He was confirmed in this role in 2005. Over the years, he has presided over a wide range of cases, including criminal, commercial, constitutional, and judicial review matters. In addition to his judicial responsibilities, he has been an associate tutor at the Norman Manley Law School for the past two decades, specializing in Criminal Practice and Procedure.

As Chief Justice, Justice Sykes has been a driving force behind judicial reform in Jamaica. He led the development and implementation of the country's first-ever Strategic Plan for the Judiciary (2019-2023) and is currently overseeing the implementation of the second strategic plan (2024-2028). Under his leadership, the Jamaican judiciary held its first-ever weekend dedicated to judicial well-being and productivity.

Beyond his national contributions, Justice Sykes played a key role on the drafting team for the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being, reaffirming his commitment to the enhancement of the judiciary both in Jamaica and internationally.

Hon. Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena

The Honourable justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena has a distinguished judicial career spanning over two decades across three Commonwealth jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region. His legal journey began in 1999 as a prosecutor in Sri Lanka's Attorney General's Department before joining the judiciary in 2003. He has since served as a Magistrate and District Court Judge in Sri Lanka, a Resident Magistrate and later a High Court Judge in Fiji, and a Justice of Appeal in Nauru. In 2024, he was appointed President of the Nauru Court of Appeal, the apex court of the Republic of Nauru.

Beyond his judicial duties, Justice Wimalasena has been a strong advocate for judicial integrity and well-being. He initiated the drafting of the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being, leading an international team of chief justices, senior judges, and experts. The declaration was adopted on 25 July 2024. Following his proposal, the Republic of Nauru submitted a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to declare 25 July as the International Day for Judicial Well-being. Marking a significant milestone for judiciaries around the world, the UNGA formally adopted the resolution on 4 March 2025, officially recognizing 25 July as the International Day for Judicial Well-being-a testament to his efforts in bringing global attention to judicial well-being.

Since 2024, he has been closely collaborating with the Australian Catholic University to raise awareness and advance dialogue on judicial well-being, further reinforcing his commitment to this critical issue.

He is one of the first five mentors in the Pacific Judicial Integrity Program, implemented by the Australian Federal Court to support judicial officers across twelve Pacific nations. He also serves as a council member and international observer of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration, representing the Pacific Region. A member of numerous professional organizations, including the UNODC Global Judicial Integrity Network, the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association, the Medico-Legal Society of Queensland, and the Judges' Forum of the International Bar Association, Justice Wimalasena has dedicated his career to upholding judicial standards and fostering international collaboration. He has also chaired the Professional Standards Advisory Committee of the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA).

His academic credentials include a Master of Laws (LL.M.) specializing in International Human Rights, Children's Rights, and Women's Rights, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), and a Graduate Certificate in Policy and Governance from the Queensland University of Technology. He is also an accredited mediator.

Dr Anne Pickering

Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University

Associate Professor Kunle Ola

Dean, Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University