Chief Justice of New Zealand


The chief justice of New Zealand is the head of the New Zealand judiciary, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. The chief justice of New Zealand is also the chief justice of Tokelau. Before the establishment of the Supreme Court in 2004, the chief justice was the presiding judge in the High Court of New Zealand, and was also ex officio a member of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand. The office is established by the Senior Courts Act 2016, which describes the chief justice as "senior to all other judges".
The chief justice is first among equals among the Judges of the Supreme Court. They also act in place of the governor-general if one has not been appointed or if the appointee is unable to perform their duties. When acting in place of the governor-general, the chief justice is known as the "administrator of the Government".
The chief justice is appointed by the governor-general, on the formal advice of the prime minister. The current chief justice is the Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann, who was appointed on 14 March 2019 to replace the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias, who had reached mandatory retirement.

List of chief justices

From 1841 to 1957, the chief justice was the indisputable senior member of the New Zealand judiciary, and served on the old Supreme Court. Prior to 1957, all judges of the Supreme Court sat as members of the Court of Appeal. In 1957, a permanent Court of Appeal was established which was headed by a President responsible for the running of that court. The role of the chief justice became akin to that of the current chief High Court judge, responsible for the operation of the High Court but not having control over the senior New Zealand–based appellate court.
This changed in 2004 with the abolition of the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and its replacement by the Supreme Court of New Zealand as the court of last resort for New Zealand. When the new Supreme Court was established, the chief justice became head of that court.
No.ImageChief JusticeAssumed OfficeLeft Office
1Hon. Sir William Martin5 February 184112 June 1857
2Hon. Sir George Arney1875
3Hon. Sir James Prendergast GCMG1 April 187525 May 1899
4Rt Hon. Sir Robert Stout GCMG25 May 189931 January 1926
5Hon. Sir Charles Skerrett KCMG KC1 February 192613 February 1929
6Rt Hon. Sir Michael Myers GCMG KC3 May 19297 August 1946
7Rt Hon. Sir Humphrey O'Leary KCMG KC12 August 194616 October 1953
8Rt Hon. Sir Harold Barrowclough KCMG CB DSO MC ED17 November 195317 January 1966
9Rt Hon. Sir Richard Wild GBE KCMG QC18 January 1966January 1978
10Rt Hon. Sir Ronald Davison GBE CMG QC3 February 19784 February 1989
11Rt Hon. Sir Thomas Eichelbaum GBE QC6 February 198916 May 1999
12Rt Hon. Dame Sian Elias GNZM PC QC17 May 199913 March 2019
13Rt Hon. Dame Helen Winkelmann GNZM14 March 2019present