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13 May 2025
John Luke
[FYI request #30715 email]
Ref: OIA 121311
Tēnā koe John
Official Information Act request: Community Magistrates
Thank you for your email of 14 April 2025, seeking an update to our recent response (OIA
119569) regarding Community Magistrates, under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Specifically, you requested:
Thank you for your recent reply- Ref: OIA 119569
Within your reply, I noted "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"
Can you please let me know how many you have shortlisted and interviewed for each
location. For interview, do you have standard interview sheet? if so please provide a
copy of it. I understand for some roles, you have standard interview sheet and
questions that candidate need to answer.
…
May I ask if you know wil candidate receiving any payment if select to attend this one
week long training?
When you expect this appointment round wil be finished or when you anticipate that
you can submit the recommendation to the Minister?
Candidate shortlisting
While interviews have recently been held for the Community Magistrate roles, the process is
not yet complete, and the appointing Minister is yet to make any decision about candidates
who may proceed to the next stage of the appointment round.
The Minister has a range of options subject to receipt of the advice of the interview panel
and to disclose the numbers under consideration at this point may compromise that.
Accordingly, this information is withheld under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act, to protect
confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers and officials.
Interview questions
There is no standard set of questions for the Community Magistrate role, but the same
questions are put to all the candidates in any given round of appointments. Releasing the set
of questions used in this or any other role (especially those that are regularly recruited to)
could have the impact of giving future candidates an advantage when preparing for
interview. This information must therefore be withheld under section 9(2)(k) of the Act, to
prevent the disclosure or use of official information for improper gain or improper advantage.
Training programme
In addition to covering expenses for flights/travel, parking, accommodation and meals,
recent practice has been to additionally compensate attendees in light of the significant time
commitment required to attend the pre-selection training.
Appointment decision date
It is not possible to say at this time when the appointments wil be finalised, or the final
recommendation made to the Minister. This wil depend on the timing of the Minister’s
consideration of the panel report and the arrangements for candidates to attend the next
stage of the appointment process.
In withholding information under section 9, the Ministry has considered the public interest
and does not consider that it outweighs withholding the information at this time.
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’s website at:
Of icial 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(3) 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
Edrick Child
Chief Legal Counsel
