By: Just Deserts, the Tasmania Community-Based Support Group for Drug Court Programs
The world of therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) has lost a giant. Judge Peggy Hora, a retired California Supreme Court Judge, died on October 31st after a short illness. Judge Hora, at 74 years of age, has been described as a pioneer in the justice system, a global leader in the drug treatment court field and a champion of therapeutic jurisprudence. As the first woman judge in South Alameda County (California), she established the second Drug Treatment Court in the USA and here she realised her vision of changing lives for the better, one person at a time.
On her retirement from the bench, she worked tirelessly and travelled the globe relentlessly in order to educate others about substance abuse disorders and the importance of treatment courts in providing an effective response. She wrote extensively about these matters and has been cited over 100 times by courts and in journals. She was the recipient of many awards and honours for her work, and was held in the highest esteem in countries across the world, from Chile, Bermuda, Argentina, South Africa, Italy, Pakistan, France, Japan, Russia, The Netherlands, Canada and Israel to New Zealand and the UK as well as throughout Australia. She was a Thinker in Residence in Adelaide in 2009-10 and had also been a visiting academic at UTas, advising the Law School.
JSI Founder Judge Peggy Hora (Ret.) speaking at the Tasmanian Law Society, Hobart, Australia
Peggy had visited Tasmania five times, always giving generously of her time and energy in order to share her wisdom and experience of 21 years on the bench in the USA with practitioners including academics, lawyers, prosecutors, judicial officers, treatment staff, corrections staff and particularly with those working in the Drug Court program here (Court Mandated Diversion). She provided guidance and mentoring to Tasmania’s therapeutic courts and was always warmly welcomed by the Courts, Community Corrections and the University of Tasmania. The energy and knowledge she contributed here inspired and encouraged the inception of ‘Just Desserts’, Tasmania’s coalition of agencies and individuals who work together to support and promote the therapeutic courts in this jurisdiction. Frequent references to Peggy’s work are made in presentations to classes at the University and groups in the community on problem solving courts and the development of Therapeutic Jurisprudence approaches.
Peggy was always excited to hear of developments with ‘Just Desserts’, and members consider it an honour to continue this important work that Peggy was instrumental in establishing in Tasmania. Members of Just Desserts were deeply saddened to hear of her passing.
She inspired those around her to do the best they could until they knew better, and then to do better.
Peggy helped found the National Association of Drug Court Professionals in 1994, and founded the Justice Speakers Institute with two of her colleagues in 2015. The Institute has become a leader in the education of justice system leaders worldwide. She was a teaching member of the National Judicial College faculty for over 27 years.
Peggy was warm, funny, intelligent, energetic, cheerful and fiercely independent. She inspired those around her to do the best they could until they knew better, and then to do better. She loved fine dining, the arts (although decidedly not MONA’s [Museum of Old and New Art] poo machine) and she read voraciously, having not owned a television set for over 30 years. She was also a mother and grandmother, known as ‘Venture Grandma’ to her eight grandchildren, who she took travelling all around the world.
The TJ world will shine a little less brightly without Peggy’s star in it. The National Judicial College (USA) has established an endowment fund in Peggy’s name, and donations can be made here: https://www.judges.org/donate/hon-peggy-fulton-hora-scholarship-endowment-fund/
Judge Hora around the world
