Inaugural Lecture—Professor Dean Knight

Of wise decisions, government accountability and a small-ish democracy

We expect our ministers, officials and public bodies to make wise decisions and to be accountable for their actions. But how well does the system of public law in Aotearoa New Zealand create conditions and provide processes that promote good decision-making and meaningful accountability?
In this lecture, Professor Knight examines governmental decision-making in our small-ish democracy in the South Pacific.

Professor Knight reflects especially on the vast array of processes that insist ministers, officials, and public bodies render account for their decisions and allow others to appraise their justification. In so doing, he assesses the extent to which these processes encourage wise decision-making by government. A particular focus of his enquiry is the way decision-making and accountability in New Zealand are coloured by the small-ish nature of our democracy and its institutions.