The year was 1977. I was studying contract at Otago and the lecturer for the whole course was one Bruce Harris. He was just beginning his academic career and it was, as we discovered later, his very first year teaching contract. But you would never have guessed it. He demonstrated a mastery of the subject and best of all, as far as the class was concerned, he was able to impart that knowledge clearly and in an interesting, thought-provoking and at times amusing way. He was also extremely approachable and supportive. He cared about the class and that was very evident. Different viewpoints were encouraged. No question was ever too silly. In short, it was the best possible learning environment. and gave us the best possible grounding.

By the end of that year, Bruce was firmly established as one of the most popular and respected teachers in the law school. It was no coincidence that the following year the numbers in our advanced contract course were much bigger than usual. Bruce was, as John Ip so aptly describes it, 1 the ‘fount of avuncular assurance’.

Fast forward to 2015 when I took part in a seminar for one of Bruce's honours classes at Auckland, having almost forgiven him for leaving Otago. The same qualities and easy teaching style which had earned him so much respect and affection at Otago were very apparent. The vibe in the room was enthusiastic, the students were engaged, and they impressed with the depth of their knowledge and their critical thinking.

Not that I was surprised. For not only was their professor a superb teacher but since those fledgling days at Otago he had become a top constitutional and public law scholar with both a national and international reputation.

Festchriften are reserved for pre-eminent scholars. Bruce is unquestionably in that category. His work has attracted high praise as well as a great deal of attention. It is erudite and insightful but, importantly, also accessible. It is of huge importance to our country and never more so. and how fitting it is that the contributions in this collection to honour him not only reflect the breadth of his work but are themselves of a high calibre.

We do right to honour Bruce. His has been a truly outstanding career.