The Human Rights Commission is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national human rights institution. The Commission works with the Government and civil society to advocate and promote respect for human rights, and to promote harmonious relations in New Zealand. The Commission is made up of the Chief Human Rights Commissioner, and at least three (but no more than four) other Commissioners.
The Governor-General appoints Human Rights Commissioners on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. The appointments process is run at the direction of the Minister of Justice, in accordance with the relevant legal framework and guidance.
The Ministry of Justice has published guidance for the appointments process. This guidance consolidates all of the information about the appointments process to make it more accessible, increase transparency and in turn, build public confidence in our processes. This guidance is intended to be used predominately by officials at the Ministry of Justice, but also seeks to provide clear information to Commissioners, members of the public, and prospective candidates about the appointments process.
Guidance for the appointment of Human Rights Commissioners [PDF, 257 KB]
If you'd like to find out more about the information on this page, please email humanrights@justice.govt.nz.