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Senior Courts Act 2016

Senior court Judges - Eligibility for appointment

94: Eligibility for appointment as Judge or Associate Judge

You could also call this:

"Who can be a Judge or Associate Judge in New Zealand"

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To be a Judge or Associate Judge, you must meet certain requirements. You can be appointed if you have held a New Zealand practising certificate as a barrister or barrister and solicitor for at least 7 years. Alternatively, you can be appointed if you have a law degree from a New Zealand university, have been admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court, and have held a practising certificate in a specified jurisdiction for a certain number of years. You can hold a practising certificate in a specified jurisdiction for at least 7 years, or for a shorter time if you have also held a New Zealand practising certificate, and the total time is at least 7 years. An Order in Council can specify which jurisdictions are allowed, and you can learn more about this type of order by looking at Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM5759439.

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Part 5Senior court Judges
Eligibility for appointment

94Eligibility for appointment as Judge or Associate Judge

  1. A person may only be appointed a Judge or an Associate Judge if—

  2. that person has, for at least 7 years, held a New Zealand practising certificate as a barrister or as a barrister and solicitor; or
    1. that person—
      1. holds a degree in law granted or issued by any university within New Zealand; and
        1. has been admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court; and
          1. has held a practising certificate in a jurisdiction specified by Order in Council—
            1. for at least 7 years; or
              1. for a lesser number of years, but, when that number of years is added to the number of years that the person has held a New Zealand practising certificate, the total number of years is at least 7 years.

            2. An order under subsection (1)(b)(iii) is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

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            Notes
            • Section 94(2): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).