Hunt for next Chief Justice

The Government has opened up applications to head New Zealand’s judicial system, with the prime minister looking to recommend the next Chief Justice by the year’s end.

It would be the first appointment of a Chief Justice since New Zealand established the Supreme Court, in a break away from the United Kingdom’s Privy Council.

Dame Sian Elias is set to retire from the role in March, and while a replacement was ultimately appointed by the governorgeneral, it was on the recommendation of the prime minister.

But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has laid out a detailed appointment process – first led by the solicitor general – to distance it from recent high-profile and highly political Supreme Court appointments in the United States.

There, Supreme Court justices are appointed by the US president before being confirmed by the House and the Senate.

However, they are almost always politically partisan appointments, designed to sway legislative decisions one way or another.

An appointment was expected to be made by the end of this year.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF Dame Patsy Reddy takes the Affirmation of Allegiance under the guidance of Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias when she was sworn in as Governor-General at Parliament.