Applications are invited from persons qualified for appointment as Family Court Associates. Appointments are being considered to the following locations: Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Hamilton (2) and Whangarei/Auckland.

Family Court Associates are appointed under section 7A of the Family Court Act 1980. They undertake some of a Family Court judge’s workload, including decisions made at the early stages of proceedings and interlocutory hearings. In addition, a Family Court Associate will be able to exercise all the powers of a court Registrar.

The minimum statutory requirement to be appointed as a Family Court Associate is the holding of a practising certificate as a barrister, or as a barrister and solicitor, for at least seven years. Appointees must also be considered suitable by reason of their training, experience, and personality.

All appointees must also be able to demonstrate a range of clearly defined competencies, including:

• Impartiality, open mindedness, and good judgment.
• Personal integrity.
• Awareness of Tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Effective communication skills.
• Connection to the community and an awareness of its diversity.

Further information and application forms are available from the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.justice.govt.nz/about/statutory-vacancies. The close off for expressions of interest is by 4:00pm Friday 20 September 2024.