As a Legal Officer, your career can vary greatly depending on what appointment you hold, but the principal areas in which you can practice are:

• Military law

• Administrative law

• Military and civilian employment law

• The law of armed conflict and other international and domestic law applicable to the operations of the Armed Forces

• Human rights and privacy law

• Contract law

• Resource management law

From time to time you will be required to appear for the Crown in the Court Martial of New Zealand or other courts and tribunals, such as the Summary Appeal Court of New Zealand or a coroner’s inquest. There are periodic opportunities for exchanges with military lawyers in Australia, Canada and the UK, as well as occasional overseas training opportunities in areas such as the law of armed conflict.

The majority of your career as a Legal Officer will be spent in a tri-service environment. This means that Navy Legal Officers often do not spend very much of their careers at Devonport Naval Base and your work colleagues are as likely to be Army and Air Force personnel as Naval personnel.

Career Progression

Following Junior Officer Common Training (JOCT), you will promoted to Sub Lieutenant and be posted to one of the Defence Force’s legal offices for on the job training as a military lawyer. These offices are currently located in Auckland, Waiouru, Palmerston North, Wellington and Burnham. After an initial period, you could normally expect to take up either an established position in the Directorate of Legal Services at Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force, or be posted to a junior appointment in one of the other Defence Force establishments. You will be promoted to Lieutenant upon completion of all relevant courses and necessary time in rank. There will be opportunity for operational deployments around the world, and exchanges with other Navies including in the UK, Canada and Australia.

Your initial remuneration will be based on previous experience and skill level. This is negotiated on a case by case basis. As your career continues, remuneration will increase on promotion and seniority.

• Be a minimum of 17 years of age.

• Be a NZ citizen or have permanent residency and have lived in NZ for five years.

• Be of good character – assessed by study of testimonials and a police record check.

• Be free of any criminal convictions for the previous two years.

• In addition to the above pre-joining requirements, to be eligible for entry into the Royal New Zealand Navy as a Legal Officer, you should already hold a Bachelor of Laws Degree. It is an advantage if an applicant has been admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and holds a current practising certificate.

• Like all Officers, you must also pass a two day final officer selection board to be accepted for entry into the Navy.

• Have completed at least three years of secondary education.

• Be medically fit for service.