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Appointment to the District Court or Environment Court Bench

If you wish to register your interest in appointment as a District or Environment Court Judge you can fill in this form:

Expression of interest form (PDF) [PDF, 197 KB]

Expression of interest form (Word) [DOCX, 81 KB]

or you can read more about it in this booklet:

Judicial appointments information booklet [DOCX, 42 KB]

Appointment to the High Court Bench

If you wish to register your interest in appointment as a High Court Judge or Associate Judge you can fill in these forms:

Expression of interest form [PDF, 465 KB]

Declaration for appointment to the High Court [DOCX, 26 KB]

or you can read more about the protocol here:

Appointments protocol [PDF, 282 KB]

Chief Executive Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand

Expressions of interest are being sought from suitably qualified persons wishing to be considered for appointment as the Chief Executive of Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand.

This is a full-time position based in Wellington.

Firearms oversight in New Zealand is changing to make our communities safer and to provide simpler, smarter services for firearms users.

The Chief Executive will be responsible for leading Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand and ensuring the effective administration of New Zealand’s new firearms regulatory system, provides leadership to promote public safety, responsible firearms ownership, and confidence in the firearms licensing framework.

The role of the Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand is to:

  • administer and oversee New Zealand’s firearms licensing system
  •  promote the safe and lawful possession and use of firearms
  •  support the Minister in their responsibilities to Parliament in relation to firearms regulation and safety
  • provide assurance to the public that firearms are effectively regulated and that the firearms system operates in a fair, transparent, and accountable manner.

 The successful candidate will demonstrate strong strategic leadership, sound judgement, and the ability to work effectively with Ministers, government agencies, stakeholders, and the public.

Senior experience in leadership, regulatory systems, and public safety environments is mandatory. Experience in the public sector will be highly regarded.

The successful applicant is appointed by the Governor-General, on the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice. The appointee must be able to get and maintain New Zealand Government Top Secret security clearance.

You must:

  • Have been a New Zealand Citizen for at least 10 years

OR

  • Hold a current NZ Residency Class Visa and ideally have been a citizen of the UK, USA, Canada or Australia for at least 10 years

Ordinarily, this means you'll have a 10-year checkable background in countries NZSIS Vetting can make meaningful and reliable checks.

Still unsure? Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a TSS security clearance: http://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/eligibility-tool(external link)

Applications close at 5.00 pm on Tuesday 5 May 2026.

Please email your completed expression of interest form (provided below), curriculum vitae and a covering letter to General.OLC@justice.govt.nz


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