The Chief Parliamentary Counsel can choose people to be parliamentary counsel if they think it is necessary for their work. You need to have a legal qualification to be a parliamentary counsel. A parliamentary counsel is considered an employee under the Employment Relations Act 2000, which you can find on the Employment Relations Act 2000 website.

The Chief Parliamentary Counsel makes decisions about who to appoint as parliamentary counsel. They do this to make sure their work and the work of the PCO is done efficiently. This means parliamentary counsel are part of a team that helps with law-making.

As an employee, a parliamentary counsel follows the rules set out in the Employment Relations Act 2000. This law explains the rights and responsibilities of employees in New Zealand. It applies to parliamentary counsel in the same way it applies to other employees.