Editing Silvia Cartwright (section)

==Public life==

===Legal career===
In 1989, Cartwright became the first female Chief District Court Judge, and in 1993 she was the first woman to be appointed to the [[New Zealand High Court|High Court]].<ref name=govbio>{{cite press release |url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/node/8301 |title=PM welcomes Governor-General-designate |publisher=New Zealand Government |date=24 August 2000 |accessdate=7 August 2010}}</ref>

Cartwright presided over a 1988 inquiry into issues related to cervical cancer and its treatment at Auckland's National Women's Hospital, known as the [[Cartwright Inquiry]]. Cartwright has previously served on the [[Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women]],<ref name=govbio/> and played a major role in the drafting of the [[Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior51/004/1997/en/ |title=The Optional Protocol to the Women's Convention: Enabling Women to Claim their Rights at the International Level |publisher=Amnesty International |year=1997 |accessdate=7 August 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Silvia Cartwright |title=Rights and Remedies: The Drafting of an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |journal=Otago Law Review |volume=9 |pages=239 |year=1998}}</ref>

In 2007, in recognition for Cartwright's work as a lawyer, the Auckland Women Lawyers' Association established a lecture known as the Dame Silvia Cartwright Lecture Series.<ref>{{cite web|author=Auckland District Law Society – Law News|url=http://www.adls.org.nz/profession/lawnews/2007/issueno24/ln2401.asp|title=Dame Silvia – making a difference to our world|date=6 July 2007|accessdate=11 July 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222138/http://www.adls.org.nz/profession/lawnews/2007/issueno24/ln2401.asp |archivedate=27 September 2007}}</ref>

===Governor-General of New Zealand===
Cartwright's term as [[Governor-General of New Zealand]] was from 4 April 2001 to 4 August 2006. She was succeeded by [[Anand Satyanand]] at midday on 23 August 2006. During the intervening period, Chief Justice [[Sian Elias|Dame Sian Elias]] was the [[Administrator of the Government]] (acting governor-general).{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

On 16 June 2002, Cartwright made a speech at the Annual General Meeting of [[Save The Children]]'s New Zealand branch, in which she criticised section 59 of the [[Crimes Act 1961]], which allowed parents to use "reasonable force" to discipline their children.<ref name="smacking_speech">{{cite web|title=Speech to Save the Children AGM|url=http://www.gov-gen.govt.nz/utilities/printspeech.asp?ID=21|date=16 June 2002|author=Dame Silvia Cartwright|accessdate=23 July 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045740/http://www.gov-gen.govt.nz/utilities/printspeech.asp?ID=21 |archivedate = 28 September 2007}}</ref> A number of groups criticised this position, such as the [[Society for the Promotion of Community Standards]]<ref name="SPCS">{{cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0206/S00102.htm|title=GG's Views on Smacking Kids Attack Family|date=18 June 2002|accessdate=7 August 2010}}</ref> – the [[Monarchist League of New Zealand|Monarchist League]] stated that these comments were "overstepping the mark" for a representative of the Queen,<ref name="mnz_dame_silvia">{{cite web|title=Monarchy New Zealand, November 2002|date=November 2002|url=http://www.geocities.com/cox_nz/|author=Monarchist League of New Zealand|author-link=Monarchist League of New Zealand|accessdate=7 August 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026234758/http://geocities.com/cox_nz/|archivedate=26 October 2009}}</ref> while Green Party MP [[Sue Bradford]] welcomed the comments.<ref name="greens_gg">{{cite web|title=Violence against children shaping up as election issue|url=https://home.greens.org.nz/press-releases/violence-against-children-shaping-election-issue|date=17 June 2002|accessdate=27 May 2015|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518062706/https://home.greens.org.nz/press-releases/violence-against-children-shaping-election-issue|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 12 August 2002, in a speech at the opening of the Specialised Applied Research Centre of the [[Victoria University of Wellington]], Cartwright questioned whether longer sentences would reduce criminal reoffending rates. This was after the Sentencing Act 2002 and the Parole Act 2002 were passed – Acts for which Cartwright granted Royal Assent on 12 July 2002. The Acts introduced mandatory sentences for criminal convictions, and reduced the likelihood of parole.<ref name="sentencing_speech">{{cite web|url=http://www.gov-gen.govt.nz/utilities/printspeech.asp?ID=39|title=Speech at the Opening of the Specialised Applied Research Centre Victoria University Wellington|date=12 August 2002|accessdate=23 July 2007|author=Dame Silvia Cartwright |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045749/http://www.gov-gen.govt.nz/utilities/printspeech.asp?ID=39 |archivedate = 28 September 2007}}</ref> [[ACT New Zealand]] MP [[Stephen Franks]] was critical of the remarks, stating "I don't think she was regarded as one of the most weighty judges and she's putting herself into a difficult constitutional position by weighing in this area",<ref name="TVNZ_gg">{{cite web|title=Dame Silvia joins sentencing debate|date=13 August 2002|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425825/123803|author=Television New Zealand|author-link=Television New Zealand|accessdate=7 August 2010}}</ref> as was the [[Sensible Sentencing Trust]]. However, Prime Minister [[Helen Clark]] defended the governor-general, stating "One of the challenges for us is we clearly are no longer a dominion of Britain where the Governor-General is exactly like the Queen".<ref name="clark_herald">{{cite news|title=Clark foresees president role|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=2349518|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|agency=NZPA|date=15 August 2002|accessdate=7 August 2010}}</ref>

On [[Waitangi Day]] 2004, following [[New Zealand National Party|National]] leader [[Don Brash]]'s controversial [[Orewa Speech]] on race relations, Cartwright controversially gave a different interpretation of the phrase "He iwi tahi tatou".<ref name="orewa_speech">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=350&objectid=3547692|title=Governor-General expected to give different interpretation of Brash's treaty quote|date=6 February 2004|accessdate=23 July 2007}}</ref>

Following the [[2005 New Zealand general election|2005 general election]], former National deputy leader [[Gerry Brownlee]] stated that Cartwright had not allowed National the chance at forming a government. Brownlee said "I have to publicly say that I have lost respect for the Governor-General and I think it is time we sat down now and started to look at a much more formal constitution for New Zealand". In response, Helen Clark said that the governor-general followed a "very, very proper process".<ref name="nzh_brownlee">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10354305|title=Brownlee outburst backfires|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=9 November 2005|accessdate=23 July 2007}}</ref>

===Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal===
Cartwright was appointed to sit as one of two international judges in the Trial Chamber of the [[Cambodia Tribunal]] by [[Cambodia]]'s Supreme Council of Magistracy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.govt.nz/media/news.asp?type=current&ID=164|title=Cartwright appointed Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal trial judge|author=Government House|accessdate=11 July 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927032427/http://www.gg.govt.nz/media/news.asp?type=current&ID=164 |archivedate = 27 September 2007}}</ref> Multiple Defence requests that she stand down from this position have been consistently rejected by both the Trial Chamber and Supreme Court Chambers on their merits.<ref>See amongst others Decision on Motions for Disqualification of Judge Silvia CARTWRIGHT, E137/5, 2 December 2011 (ECCC Trial Chamber) (http://www.eccc.gov.kh/sites/default/files/documents/courtdoc/E137_5_EN.PDF), Decision on IENG Sary’s Appeal Against the Trial Chamber’s Decision on Motions for Disqualification of Judge Silvia CARTWRIGHT, E137/5/1/3, 17 April 2012 (ECCC Supreme Court Chamber) (http://www.eccc.gov.kh/sites/default/files/documents/courtdoc/E137_5_1_3_EN.PDF) and Decision on IENG Sary's Application for Disqualification of Judge Cartwright, E191/2, 4 June 2012 (ECCC Trial Chamber) (http://www.eccc.gov.kh/sites/default/files/documents/courtdoc/E191_2_EN.PDF)</ref>