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Jeremy Pope

It is with deep sadness that we record the death of Jeremy Pope who, together with his colleague Nihal Jayawickrama, was instrumental in the formation of the Judicial Integrity Group.

It is with deep sadness that we record the death of Jeremy Pope who, together with his colleague Nihal Jayawickrama, was instrumental in the formation of the Judicial Integrity Group. His long experience as a barrister in New Zealand, the head of the Legal Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, and as the founding managing director of Transparency International in Berlin, had convinced him that combating corruption in judicial systems and strengthening judicial integrity were essentially the responsibility of the judiciary. It was that belief, and his decades of interaction with judges on all continents, that resulted in the preparatory meeting of the Judicial Integrity Group in Vienna in April 2000.

Jeremy Pope was actively involved in the drafting process of the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct and participated in all the subsequent meetings of the Group until he left London to return to New Zealand. Throughout the last twelve years and, in fact, during the past month as well, until a few days before the accident that led to his untimely death, he was regularly consulted on matters relating to the Group. His advice has contributed immeasurably towards the survival of the Group as an independent and autonomous entity, and its continuing contribution to the judicial world.

Jeremy Pope was a versatile man of deep scholarship and dedication to justice. As the former Chief Justice of South Africa, Pius Langa, recalled, "during South Africa's dark days, Jeremy was a constant and consistent friend and fellow activist." The members of the Group have lost a dear friend and colleague who was dynamic, resourceful, hardworking and a champion of integrity and good governance. Although he died much too young when he had so much more to contribute, his life made a difference to the causes of justice, equality, non-discrimination, integrity and the rule of law.