New Zealand order of precedence explained

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 The previous order of precedence (approved^[1] and amended^[2]) was revoked and Queen Elizabeth II approved the following Order of Precedence in New Zealand effective 20 September 2018: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]}
   • His Majesty King Charles III (8 September 2022)
2. The Governor-General or, while acting in the place of the Governor-General, the officer administering the Government^[5]
   • Her Excellency The Rt Hon. Dame Cindy Kiro (21 October 2021)
3. The Prime Minister
   • The Rt Hon. Christopher Luxon (27 November 2023)
4. The Speaker of the House of Representatives
   • The Rt Hon. Gerry Brownlee (5 December 2023)
5. The Chief Justice
   • The Rt Hon. Dame Helen Winkelmann (14 March 2019)
6. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
   • His Excellency Alfredo Rogerio Pérez Bravo of Mexico (1 December 2023)
   1. • The Deputy Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Winston Peters (27 November 2023)
7. Ministers of the Crown (ordered by party and then ministerial rank; list as of 24 April 2024)^{[6] [7]}
   • National Party ministers
     • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • 1. • • The Hon. Nicola Willis The Hon. Chris Bishop The Hon. Dr Shane Reti The Hon. Simeon Brown The Hon. Erica Stanford The Hon. Paul Goldsmith The Hon. Louise Upston The Hon. Judith Collins The Hon. Mark Mitchell The Hon. Todd McClay The Hon. Tama Potaka The Hon. Matt Doocey The Hon. Simon Watts National Party ministers outside of Cabinet
       • 1. • • • 1. • • • 1. • • • 1. • • • 1. • The Hon. Melissa Lee The Hon. Penny Simmonds The Hon. Chris Penk The Hon. Nicola Grigg The Hon. Andrew Bayly ACT ministers
       1. • • 1. • • 1. • • The Hon. David Seymour The Hon. Brooke van Velden The Hon. Nicole McKee ACT ministers outside of Cabinet
       • 1. • • • 1. • The Hon. Andrew Hoggard The Hon. Karen Chhour New Zealand First ministers
       1. • • 1. • • The Hon. Shane Jones The Hon. Casey Costello New Zealand First ministers outside of Cabinet
       • 1. The Hon. Mark Patterson Former Governors-General
   • The Hon. Dame Silvia Cartwright (2001–2006)
   • The Rt Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand (2006–2011)
   • The Rt Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae (2011–2016)
   • The Rt Hon. Dame Patsy Reddy (2016–2021)
8. Ambassadors and High Commissioners in New Zealand and Chargés d’Affaires accredited to New Zealand.^[8]
9. The Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives
   • The Rt Hon. Chris Hipkins (27 November 2023)
10. Leaders, including co-leaders and joint leaders, of political parties represented in the House of Representatives, other than Ministers of the Crown.
    • The Hon. Marama Davidson – Co-leader, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand (8 April 2018)
    • Debbie Ngarewa-Packer – Co-leader, Te Pāti Māori (15 April 2020)
    • Rawiri Waititi – Co-leader, Te Pāti Māori (28 October 2020)
    • Chlöe Swarbrick – Co-leader, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand (10 March 2024)
11. 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.
12. Judges of the Supreme Court of New Zealand,^[9] the Court of Appeal^[10] and the High Court of New Zealand.^{[11] [12]}
13. 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]

1. • Former Prime Ministers
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Geoffrey Palmer (8 August 1989 – 4 September 1990)
     • The Rt Hon. Jim Bolger (2 November 1990 – 8 December 1997)
     • The Rt Hon. Dame Jenny Shipley (8 December 1997 – 10 December 1999)
     • The Rt Hon. Helen Clark (10 December 1999 – 19 November 2008)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir John Key (19 November 2008 – 12 December 2016)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Bill English (12 December 2016 – 26 October 2017)
     • The Rt Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern (26 October 2017 – 25 January 2023)
     • The Rt Hon. Chris Hipkins (25 January 2023 – 27 November 2023) (Leader of the Opposition, see above)
   • Former Speakers of the House of Representatives
     • The Hon. Sir Kerry Burke (16 September 1987 – 28 November 1990)
     • The Hon. Sir Doug Kidd (12 December 1996 – 20 December 1999)
     • The Hon. Margaret Wilson (3 March 2005 – 8 December 2008)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Lockwood Smith (8 December 2008 – 31 January 2013)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir David Carter (31 January 2013 – 7 November 2017)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Trevor Mallard (7 November 2017 – 24 August 2022)
     • The Rt Hon. Adrian Rurawhe (24 August 2022 – 5 December 2023) (current Member of the House of Representatives, see above)
   • Former Chief Justices
     • The Rt Hon. Dame Sian Elias (17 May 1999 – 13 March 2019)
   • Members of the Privy Council
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Don McKinnon (8 April 1992)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Bill Birch (8 April 1992)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir John Henry (19 November 1996)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Ted Thomas (19 November 1996)
     • The Rt Hon. Winston Peters (21 May 1998) (Deputy Prime Minister, see above)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Doug Graham (21 May 1998)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Kenneth Keith (21 May 1998)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Peter Blanchard (21 May 1998)
     • The Rt Hon. Sir Andrew Tipping (21 May 1998)
     • The Rt Hon. Wyatt Creech (24 November 1999)
     • The Rt Hon. Dame Sian Elias (24 November 1999) (Former Chief Justice, see above)
     • The Rt Hon. Simon Upton (14 December 1999)
2. 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.
3. 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).
   • The Public Service Commissioner – Peter Hughes (4 July 2016)^[14]
   • Chief of Defence Force – Air Marshal Tony Davies (6 June 2024)^[15]
   • Commissioner of Police – Andrew Coster (3 April 2020)^[16]
   • Officers of Parliament
     • Controller and Auditor-General – John Ryan (2 July 2018)^[17]
     • Chief Ombudsman – Peter Boshier (10 December 2015)^[18]
     • The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment – Rt Hon. Simon Upton (16 October 2017) (Member of the Privy Council, see above)
4. 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.
   • The Solicitor-General – Una Jagose (16 February 2016)^[19]
   • The Clerk of the Parliament of New Zealand – David Wilson (6 July 2015)^[20]
   • The Clerk of the Executive Council – Rachel Hayward (2 November 2022)^[21]
5. Chief executives of public service and non-public service departments.^[22]
6. The Vice Chief of Defence Force, and Chiefs of Navy, Army and Air Force, and other statutory office holders.
   • Vice Chief of Defence Force – TBC
   • Chief of Navy – Rear Admiral David Proctor (29 November 2018)
   • Chief of Army – Major General John Boswell (1 September 2018)
   • Chief of Air Force – Air Vice Marshal Darryn Webb (2 October 2023)^[23]
7. Consuls-General and Consuls of countries without diplomatic representation in New Zealand.
8. Members of New Zealand and British orders, and holders of decorations and medals in accordance with the Order of Wear in New Zealand.^[24]

Notes and References

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 seniorityas may be prescribed by the Prime Minister from time to time.
7. Web site: Ministerial list . 24 April 2024 . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . 24 April 2024.
8. Web site: Order of Precedence . . 6 April 2022 . Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade . 30 April 2022 .
9. Web site: The Judges of the Supreme Court . . Courts of New Zealand . Ministry of Justice . 8 January 2016 .
10. Web site: The Judges of the Court of Appeal . . Courts of New Zealand . Ministry of Justice . 8 January 2016 .
11. Web site: The Judges of the High Court . . Courts of New Zealand . Ministry of Justice . 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. Web site: Privy Council . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
14. Web site: State Services Commissioner appointed . 4 May 2016 . State Services Commission . 25 October 2019.
15. Web site: Change of Command Ceremony for the Chief of the Defence Force . 6 June 2024 . Government House . 6 June 2024.
16. Web site: New Commissioner of Police appointed . New Zealand Government. 9 March 2020. 22 May 2020.
17. Web site: John Ryan . Office of the Auditor-General . 29 April 2019 . 25 October 2019.
18. Appointment of Chief Ombudsman . 3 December 2015 . New Zealand Gazette . 135 . 25 October 2019.
19. Web site: Profile: Una Jagose, Solicitor-General . 17 February 2016 . ILANZ . 25 October 2019.
20. Appointment of Clerk of the House of Representatives . 8 May 2015. New Zealand Gazette . 135 . 25 October 2019.
21. Web site: Appointment of new Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council . 4 November 2022 . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . 31 December 2022.
22. Public service departments are those defined in Schedule 1 of the State Sector Act 1988. Non-public servicedepartments 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.
23. Web site: Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb: Chief of Air Force . New Zealand Defence Force . 6 June 2024.
24. 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.