A role model for Pasifika
Ida Malosi is comfortable with setting firsts and proud of her Samoan heritage.
A founding partner in an all-Maori and Pasifika women law firm in 1994 (King Alofivae Malosi, specialising in family law and youth justice), she first sat on the district court bench in 2002 and established Pasifika Youth Courts in south and west Auckland before being seconded to Samoa in 2013 as a Supreme Court judge.
She was also Aotearoa’s national executive judge last year.
Now Judge Malosi, the country’s first female Pasifika judge, has another string to add to her bow.
Following the retirement of Judge John Walker, Attorney-General David Parker has appointed her as the new Principal Youth Court Judge.
Born and raised in Southland, Judge Malosi studied at Wellington’s Victoria University before moving to south Auckland to begin her law career.
While she was born in New Zealand, she is proud of her Samoan heritage, and the fact that she is seen as a role model for Pasifika people in the legal world and the wider community.
She recently told Michele Hewitson of the NZ Herald that growing up there were no career expectations in her family, just a belief in being ‘the best you could be.’
Her father worked as a wharfie, while mum stayed at home with the four children until they were at school when she got a job cleaning at a hospital.
"Then she was supervisor, then head supervisor. So, there’s an example – it doesn’t matter what you do, you be the best at it," Judge Malosi told the Herald.
When asked if she was going to be a tough judge, she said that was a possible perception of her, and that she could be tough when she had to be, but she believed that her background in family law would give her the ability to manage and mask that.
She is sure it will take the South Auckland community some time to come to terms with her appointment. "And if there is any confidence lost in my commitment to the community hopefully that will be regained over the years on the Bench."
Packing up her Manakau office in preparation for her new home, an office that resembled a florist’s shop with all the bouquets sent to her as congratulations she picks up one card that particularly made her smile.
‘Congratulations on your promotion to be a lady judge’ it read, but Judge Malosi said she doubts she will be a ladylike kind of judge.
‘‘I’ve always been a tomboy’’.
Judge Malosi was part of the Pacific Advisory Group established in 2008 by MSD to support the work of the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families to strengthen government responses to family violence.
Pasefika Proud's Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu was born out of a collaborative process of regional fono run by the Pacific Advisory Group on family violence. The culmination of these events led to a national gathering called the Champions of Change fono, the participants of which collectively identified that culture must be the basis for constructing any solution to family violence.
Download - Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu Resource
Pasefika Proud Call to Action
The Pasefika Proud ‘Call to Action’ underpins our community mobilisation strategy. This includes initiatives to encourage Pacific community leaders and influencers to stand up, speak out and act against all forms of violence affecting Pacific-peoples. The impetus for the ‘Call to Action’ will be to foster social environments that support behavioural and attitudinal change to prevent family violence within Pacific peoples, and to align with other campaigns targeting Pacific peoples to ensure a cohesive and coordinated approach.
Data related to issues of family violence for Pacific People