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DX SX10088 | Wellington
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[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
7 March 2025
John Luke
[FYI request #30104 email]
Ref: OIA 119569
Tēnā koe Mr Luke
Official Information Act request: Community Magistrates
Thank you for your further email of 16 February 2025 in relation to your previous OIA
request (OIA 118918). Specifically, you have asked:
Within your reply, I noted "28 applications have been received" and "The Ministry
hopes to be able to appoint three new Community Magistrates. Ideally each to be
appointed to be based in Auckland, Hamilton and Whangarei."
Can you please confirm within that 28 applications, how many are from Auckland,
how many are from Hamilton and how many are from Whangarei. I presume within
the application they must indicate which city's position they are applying to.
"Warrants are issued to people appointed as Community Magistrates. A copy of an
example warrant is attached to this letter as document 2 and released to you with
some information withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act to protect the privacy of
natural persons. " I have not received this document 2, can you please send it to me.
Thank you
With regards to the "selected for training" can you please let me know what sort of
training you are referring to and how long the training will be? Am I able to request
the training materials or PPT used during the last round of the training?
I also noted there is a mentioned of "official swearing-in ceremony", can you please
let me know where is that took place during the last appointment round?
"A previous appointment round sought the appointment of three Community
Magistrates. Five candidates were selected for training." May I ask what happened to
the two candidates who were not appointed? Was it because they didn’t pass the
training, or is there a specific selection criteria that comes into play after the training
concludes? Also, did 5 candidates all attend the training?
Answers to your queries are listed below:
Can you please confirm within that 28 applications, how many are from Auckland,
how many are from Hamilton and how many are from Whangarei. I presume within the
application they must indicate which city's position they are applying to. Please refer to the list below, which shows the total number of submitted expressions of
interest for Auckland, Hamilton, and Whangarei. Please note that some candidates may
have expressed interest in multiple locations:
• Auckland:
19
• Hamilton:
9
• Whangarei: 5
With regards to the "selected for training" can you please let me know what sort of
training you are referring to and how long the training will be? Am I able to request
the training materials or PPT used during the last round of the training?
The training is conducted at the direction of the Chief District Court Judge and the material
and content is held by that office. Accordingly, we are unable to provide that to you. My
understanding is that the training programme lasts at least a full week.
I also noted there is a mentioned of "official swearing-in ceremony", can you please
let me know where is that took place during the last appointment round?
Official swearing in ceremonies are the responsibility of, and are conducted by, the Chief
District Court Judge. My understanding is that the swearing in ceremonies were conducted
at the Courts at which the appointed Community Magistrates would usually be based.
"A previous appointment round sought the appointment of three Community
Magistrates. Five candidates were selected for training." May I ask what happened to
the two candidates who were not appointed? Was it because they didn’t pass the
training, or is there a specific selection criteria that comes into play after the training
concludes? Also, did 5 candidates all attend the training?
The training programme is conducted at the direction of the Chief District Court Judge. I do
not have the specifics of that programme; however my understanding is that following the
training period, a further assessment of candidates is undertaken prior to the final
appointment recommendations.
Lastly, I enclose the attachment referred to in OIA 118918. Please accept my apologies for
this oversight. Some information has been withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act to
protect the privacy of natural persons.
If you require any further information, please contact Media & Social Media Manager Joe
Locke at [email address]
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
Official Information Act responses | New Zealand Ministry of Justice
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28 of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted
by email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Wayne Newall
Manager, Appointments and Specialist Functions
