Judge

Tasks & duties

Judges may do some or all of the following:

• enforce the rules during court cases
• listen to the evidence of witnesses and the arguments of lawyers
• make rulings on what evidence may be used
• guide juries on the law
• come to decisions on legal cases or receive the decisions of juries
• pass sentence on people who are convicted
• write decisions on cases
• may sit on tribunals to help solve disputes
• decide custody and access disputes
• may be involved in programmes to improve the court system

Specialisations

Judges may work in specialist courts such as the Youth Court, Family Court, Environment Court or Maori Land Court.

Skills & knowledge

Judges need to have:

• knowledge of New Zealand law and legal history
• an understanding of the operation of the court system
• the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate legal and factual information
• knowledge of other judges' decisions
• an awareness of possible culture, gender and society issues that may affect court hearings
• management and leadership skills, as judges are responsible for maintaining order in the court and need to make decisions about the case/dispute
• communication and listening skills
• research skills

Entry requirements

Judges need to have at least seven years experience as a solicitor and/or barrister; however, most people will have practiced for considerably longer (15 years or more). People wishing to become District Court or High Court judges need to apply or be nominated to the Attorney-General's Judicial Appointments Unit and are selected from a confidential register of all candidates. Expressions of interest are called for annually.

Secondary education

A tertiary entrance qualification is needed to enter tertiary law study, although some universities require an A or B bursary or NCEA equivalent. Useful subjects are essay based subjects such as English, history and classical studies. Maths and accounting.

Tertiary education

A four-year Bachelor of Laws degree, which must include a course in legal ethics, is required to gain entry into the legal profession.

Other useful tertiary subjects include political science, languages and subjects related to the area of law they are determining.

After gaining your degree you must complete a Professional Legal Studies course to be admitted to the roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand. You also need to hold a current practicing certificate from your district law society.

Training on the job

Judges learn many skills on the job. New judges attend a five-day live-in orientation course. This is followed by two to three weeks of specified court sittings under the supervision of a senior mentor judge. Then, when they begin to sit in their own courts, they are assisted by another mentor judge for a further six months.

Further training is provided throughout judges' careers by the Judicial Studies Institute.

Useful experience

Useful experience for judges includes legal advisory work, work for the Ministry of Justice, work at parliament drafting new laws and work in a private law practice.

Related courses

Business and Commercial Law
Constitutional Law
Criminal Law
Family Law
Justice Administration
Legal Practice

For more information, please refer to Career Services.