Tuesday 7 May 2019 9:51pm
Professor Andrew Geddis receives the Gama Foundation Critic and Conscience of Society Award from Grant and Marilyn Nelson on Friday evening. Photo: Sharron Bennett.
University of Otago Law Professor Andrew Geddis has been awarded the 2019 Gama Foundation Critic and Conscience of Society Award – but concedes he may need to get a mobile phone to help with media calls.
The $50,000 award, which was presented at an event at the Staff Club last week, recognises Professor Geddis’ recent public commentary on a range of legal and political issues.
Professor Geddis estimates that in the last two years he has undertaken well over 100 media appearances and authored comments aimed at “translating for the public the way in which public power should be exercised, and speaking out forcefully when public power appears to have been misused”.
"I believe that with this privilege comes a responsibility to use the fruits of our thinking to try and make the world a better place. I plan to use this prize to collaborate with colleagues at Otago and beyond to do just that."
“The place of academics in our society really is quite privileged. We are afforded considerable time and resources to do something not many others can: think widely about the world and the issues it faces.
“I believe that with this privilege comes a responsibility to use the fruits of our thinking to try and make the world a better place. I plan to use this prize to collaborate with colleagues at Otago and beyond to do just that.”
The award, administered by Universities New Zealand, was introduced in 2017 by the Gama Foundation – an organisation established by Grant and Marilyn Nelson – to recognise academics who have frequently provided the public with independent, expert commentary on issues affecting New Zealanders.
Recipients receive $50,000 to assist with research, conferences and other work-related expenses.
Grant Nelson says the idea for the award came several years ago when he heard a radio interview in which an academic pointed out that while the Education Act required them to be the critic and conscience of society, other demands meant they were often unable to act in this role.
“We were concerned not many academics were doing this, and so the award is about offering encouragement to speak out on important issues.”
Mr Nelson is a judge on the award panel, along with former Victoria University of Wellington Vice- Chancellor Pat Walsh and Professor Steve Weaver, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at the University of Canterbury.
“We make no judgements about the importance of any one topic, we just look at who has been most interactive and going public on various issues,” he says.
"I often respond to media enquiries before breakfast and after dinner – I may have to use some of the prize money to finally get a cell phone so I don’t tie up our landline at home so much!"
The Nelsons have a long history of backing important research at Otago; in 2007 they made a generous donation which, with input from the University of Otago Foundation Trust, led to the establishment of the Legal Issues Centre.
Development and Alumni Relations Office Director Shelagh Murray says the award continues the Gama Foundation’s “long-standing and important support for the University of Otago.”
In addition to the Gama Foundation and the award judges, Professor Geddis thanked his wife, Otago Faculty of Law Professor Jacinta Ruru, and his children “for their patience”.
“I often respond to media enquiries before breakfast and after dinner – I may have to use some of the prize money to finally get a cell phone so I don’t tie up our landline at home so much!”
Professor Geddis studied law and political studies at the University of Otago before attending Harvard Law School on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he completed his LLM degree. In 2000 he returned to Otago to take up a lecturing position. He was appointed an Associate Professor in 2007, and Professor in 2011.
He now teaches in the first-year legal systems course, 200-level public law, and the 300-400 level papers “Law and the Democratic Process” and “Bills of Rights: Theory and Practice”.
In addition to research outputs on public law, rights jurisprudence and democratic theory (with a particular focus on the legal regulation of elections), he is a prolific media commentator on legal matters, posting at pundit.co.nz, thespinoff.co.nz and radionz.co.nz.