New Zealand order of precedence

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The Prime Minister (Jacinda Ardern), Governor-General (Dame Cindy Kiro) and Speaker of the House (Adrian Rurawhe), below a portrait of the Queen, on 24 August 2022

The Order of precedence in New Zealand is a guide to the relative seniority of constitutional office holders and certain others, to be followed, as appropriate at State and official functions. The previous order of precedence (approved[1] and amended[2]) was revoked and Queen Elizabeth II approved the following Order of Precedence in New Zealand effective 20 September 2018:

  1. The Monarch of New Zealand.[3][4]
  2. The Governor-General or, while acting in the place of the Governor-General, the officer administering the Government[5]
  3. The Prime Minister
  4. The Speaker of the House of Representatives
  5. The Chief Justice
  6. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
  7. The Deputy Prime Minister
  8. Ministers of the Crown (ordered by party and then ministerial rank; list as of 27 November 2023)[6][7]
  9. Former Governors-General
  10. Ambassadors and High Commissioners in New Zealand and Chargés d’Affaires accredited to New Zealand.[8]
  11. The Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives
  12. Leaders, including co-leaders and joint leaders, of political parties represented in the House of Representatives, other than Ministers of the Crown.
  13. Members of the House of Representatives. There is no established order of precedence over members of parliament in general, although each party has its internal ranking.
  14. Judges of the Supreme Court of New Zealand,[9] the Court of Appeal[10] and the High Court of New Zealand.[11][12]
  15. Former Prime Ministers, former Speakers of the House of Representatives, former Chief Justices, and members of the Privy Council.
    Until 1999 it was traditional for the Prime Minister, senior and long-serving Ministers of the Crown, the Chief Justice and Judges of the Court of Appeal to be appointed to the Privy Council. No appointments were made from 2000, and in 2010 steps were taken to discontinue such appointments.[13]
  16. Mayors of territorial authorities and chairpersons of regional councils, while in their own cities, districts and regions. In 1989, boroughs and counties were amalgamated into district councils. District mayors, and the Chatham Islands mayor could expect to be accorded this same precedence.
  17. The Public Service Commissioner, Chief of Defence Force, Commissioner of Police, and Officers of Parliament (The Controller and Auditor-General, Chief Ombudsman, and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment).
  18. The Solicitor-General, Clerk of the House of Representatives, and Clerk of the Executive Council when attending a function involving the exercise of the position’s specific responsibilities.
  19. Chief executives of public service and non-public service departments.[21]
  20. The Vice Chief of Defence Force, and Chiefs of Navy, Army and Air Force, and other statutory office holders.
  21. Consuls-General and Consuls of countries without diplomatic representation in New Zealand.
  22. Members of New Zealand and British orders, and holders of decorations and medals in accordance with the Order of Wear in New Zealand.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Order of Precedence in New Zealand Approved" (10 January 1974) 1 New Zealand Gazette 1 at 5.
  2. ^ "Order of Precedence in New Zealand" (17 September 1981) New Zealand Gazette 2575
  3. ^ The precedence of the Sovereign is absolute.
  4. ^ Members of the Royal Family are accorded precedence appropriate to the occasion.
  5. ^ In the absence of the Sovereign, the precedence of the Governor-General (or Administrator) is absolute.
  6. ^ Ministers of the Crown/Members of the Executive Council take precedence according to their relative seniority as may be prescribed by the Prime Minister from time to time.
  7. ^ "Ministerial list" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Order of Precedence". Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  9. ^ "The Judges of the Supreme Court". Courts of New Zealand. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  10. ^ "The Judges of the Court of Appeal". Courts of New Zealand. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  11. ^ "The Judges of the High Court". Courts of New Zealand. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  12. ^ All Judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal are Judges of the High Court of New Zealand. Apart from the Chief Justice, the seniority of the Judges of the High Court (including Judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal) is determined by the seniority of the Court to which they are permanently appointed, and their seniority within that Court.
  13. ^ "Privy Council". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
  14. ^ "State Services Commissioner appointed". State Services Commission. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  15. ^ "New Commissioner of Police appointed". New Zealand Government. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  16. ^ "John Ryan". Office of the Auditor-General. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Appointment of Chief Ombudsman" (PDF). New Zealand Gazette (135). 3 December 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Profile: Una Jagose, Solicitor-General". ILANZ. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Appointment of Clerk of the House of Representatives". New Zealand Gazette (135). 8 May 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  20. ^ "Appointment of new Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  21. ^ Public service departments are those defined in Schedule 1 of the State Sector Act 1988. Non-public service departments are the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, Parliamentary Counsel Office, and Parliamentary Service.
  22. ^ Members of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand Order of Merit and Queen’s Service Order, and the various British Orders, and holders of New Zealand and British decorations take precedence in accordance with the Order of Wear.