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About the work of judges Mō te Kōti-ā-Rohe o Aotearoa

  • All about judges

    A beginner's guide to District Court judges Who can become a judge? The criteria for appointment to each court differs according to the needs of the particular…

  • Judges explain some of their work

    In this section District Court Judges explain aspects of some of the work done in their courts: A     Autism     C D E Civil jurisdiction Communications assistants Community Magistrates Discharge without conviction Equality of outcome F H J Fitness to…

  • Judicial independence and accountability

    In order for a judge to make fair decisions, they must be independent. This is often depicted in the metaphor of “blind justice”. A judge’s…

  • How District Court Judges make decisions

    The role of a judge is to make or facilitate decisions in accordance with New Zealand’s laws. In order to perform this role, a judge…

  • The judicial branch of government

    The New Zealand system of government is based on the separation of powers between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. This separation provides checks…

  • Judicial appointments

    District Court Judges are appointed by the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Attorney-General. The Attorney-General may consider the advice of the Chief Judge…

  • Useful links

    This page has links to information that may be useful if you are going to court, planning to file proceedings in the District Court, or…