(BIVN) – The Big Island Press Club will honor retired Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald with its annual Torch of Light Award next month at a luncheon event in Hilo.
The event will be held on Sunday, November 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.
From the Big Island Press Club:
The Torch of Light is given to individuals or organizations who defend the First Amendment and make the public aware of their rights to information. As Chief Justice of Hawaiʻi from 2010 through 2025, Recktenwald has been selected for expanding the general public’s access to Hawaiʻi’s judicial system and increasing transparency in Hawaiʻi courts.
In addition to increasing the use of electronic filing and conducting hearings remotely, Recktenwald motivated changes for Hawaiʻi courts to allow for cameras to be present in the courtroom during sessions that made it easier for members of the public to obtain copies of court documents. Prior to entering into the field of law, Recktenwald was a reporter at United Press International’s Honolulu Bureau.
“Justice Recktenwald was the obvious choice for the Torch of Light award,” said BIPC Treasurer Nancy Cook Lauer. “Not only has he been steadfast in protecting people’s First Amendment rights, he’s been helpful to the press club over the years, including addressing our scholarship recipients via Zoom during the first year of the pandemic. His early background at UPI, coupled with his long career in the Judiciary, makes him especially sensitive to constitutional rights.”
Since retiring from the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court at the mandatory retirement age of 70, Recktenwald has joined the Alliance of Former Chief Justices, a nonpartisan initiative focused on judicial independence, the rule of law and constitutional governance. At the luncheon, he will discuss his experiences and the importance of an accessible and independent judiciary for journalists, attorneys, students and the broader Hawaiʻi Island community.
The annual luncheon will also support the next generation of Hawaiʻi journalists through the Big Island Press Club Foundation Scholarship Fund. An accompanying silent auction will feature donated experiences, hotel stays and gift cards, with proceeds benefiting scholarships for students with Hawaiʻi Island ties pursuing careers in journalism and communication.
The event will feature a full luncheon buffet provided by the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Tickets are $60 for BIPC members and $75 for nonmembers. Reservations must be made by Nov. 8.
Tickets, auction and additional event information are available through the Big Island Press Club’s 2026 Torch of Light Luncheon page on Givebutter.
About the Big Island Press Club
Founded in 1967, the Big Island Press Club is Hawaiʻi’s oldest community of journalists, media professionals and advocates dedicated to transparency, integrity and open government. The organization works to protect the public’s right to know while supporting the next generation of journalists through scholarships, educational programs and professional opportunities. For more information on the Big Island Press Club, visit BigIslandPressClub.org
