New Zealand order of precedence

The Order of precedence in New Zealand was approved by the Queen Elizabeth II on 9 January 1974, and amended to include former Governors-General on 10 September 1981. While the Queen herself is not listed in the order of precedence, as Queen of New Zealand she holds the highest precedence in New Zealand.

1. The Governor-General (Sir Jerry Mateparae) or (whilst acting in the place of the Governor-General) the deputy of the Governor-General or the officer administering the Government
2. The Prime Minister (Rt Hon John Key)
3. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Dr the Rt Hon Lockwood Smith)
4. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (His Excellency Mr Anthony Le Clerk Kgwadu Mongalo, South Africa)
5. The Deputy Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown (ordered by ministerial rank; list as of 19 November 2008)
   • Hon Bill English (Deputy Prime Minister)
   • Hon Gerry Brownlee
   • Hon Simon Power
   • Hon Tony Ryall
   • Hon Nick Smith
   • Hon Judith Collins
   • Hon Anne Tolley
   • Hon Chris Finlayson
   • Hon David Carter
   • Hon Murray McCully
   • Hon Tim Groser
   • Hon Wayne Mapp
   • Hon Steven Joyce
   • Hon Georgina Te Heuheu
   • Hon Paula Bennett
   • Hon Phil Heatley
   • Hon Hekia Parata
   • Hon Jonathan Coleman
   • Hon Kate Wilkinson
   • Hon Maurice Williamson (outside cabinet)
   • Hon John Carter (outside cabinet)
   • Hon Rodney Hide (outside official coalition)
   • Hon Pita Sharples (outside official coalition)
   • Hon Tariana Turia (outside official coalition)
   • Hon Peter Dunne (outside official coalition)
6. Former Governors-General
   • Dame Catherine Tizard, 1990–1996
   • Sir Michael Hardie Boys, 1996–2001
   • Dame Silvia Cartwright, 2001–2006
7. The Chief Justice (Dame Sian Elias)
8. Ambassadors and High Commissioners in New Zealand for Her Majesty's Governments elsewhere, according to date of presentation of Letters of Credence or of assumption of duty, and Foreign Ministers and Envoys. See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs order of precedence page for a list.
9. The Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of New Zealand (Hon Phil Goff)
10. Privy Counsellors

    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 during the term of the Fifth Labour Government. [1].

    • Rt Hon Sir Owen Woodhouse, 16 October 1974
    • Rt Hon Sir Brian Talboys, 17 January 1977
    • Rt Hon Sir Ronald Davison, 31 May 1978
    • Rt Hon Sir Ivor Richardson, 31 May 1978
    • Rt Hon Sir Duncan McMullin, 30 April 1980
    • Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer, 23 January 1985
    • Rt Hon Bob Tizard, 23 December 1985
    • Rt Hon Sir Maurice Casey, 25 November 1986
    • Rt Hon Sir Gordon Bisson, 15 September 1987
    • Rt Hon Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, 1 November 1989
    • Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt, 1 November 1989
    • Rt Hon Sir Michael Hardie Boys, 1 November 1989 (former Governor-General, see above)
    • Rt Hon Helen Clark, 9 February 1990
    • Rt Hon Mike Moore, 9 February 1990
    • Rt Hon Jim Bolger, 16 April 1991
    • Rt Hon Sir Don McKinnon, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Sir Bill Birch, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Sir Thomas Gault, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Sir Ian Lloyd McKay, 8 April 1992
    • Rt Hon Sir John Henry, 19 November 1996
    • Rt Hon Sir Ted Thomas, 19 November 1996
    • Rt Hon Dame Jenny Shipley, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Winston Peters, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Sir Doug Graham, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Paul East, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Sir Kenneth Keith, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Sir Peter Blanchard, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Sir Andrew Tipping, 24 June 1998
    • Rt Hon Wyatt Creech, 24 November 1999
    • Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias, 24 November 1999 (Current Chief Justice, see above)
    • Rt Hon Simon Upton, 14 December 1999
11. Members of the New Zealand 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
13. President and puisne judges of the Court of Appeal
14. Chief High Court Judge and other judges of the High Court
15. "Mayors of cities and boroughs and chairmen of counties while in their own districts." 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.
16. Charges d'Affaires
17. Former Prime Ministers (all living former Prime Ministers are members of the Privy Council and thus have higher precedence)
18. Former Ministers of the Crown in New Zealand
    • John Tamihere (2002 – 3 November 2004)
    • and others
19. The Clerk of the Parliament of New Zealand, Controller and Auditor-General and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Investigations (the Chief Ombudsman)
20. The Chief of Defence Staff, the Chairman of the State Services Commission, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Heads of Civil Departments of State
    • Lieutenant General Rhys Jones (Chief of Defence Force since 24th January 2011)
    • and others
21. Chiefs of Staff of the Defence Forces
    • Rear Admiral Jack Steer, ONZM (Vice Chief of Defence Force)
    • Rear Admiral Tony Parr, MVO (Chief of Navy)
    • Major General -- (Chief of Army)
    • Air Vice-Marshal Peter Stockwell, AFC, (Chief of Air Force)
22. Consuls-General & Consuls of countries without diplomatic representation in New Zealand
23. Heads of religious denominations in New Zealand
24. Knights of the various orders and Knights Bachelor, according to their precedence in the United Kingdom

Main Source: NZ Gazette 1974 vol I pp5-6 and NZ Gazette 1981 vol II p2575