Editing Politics of New Zealand (section)

==Judiciary==
{{Main|Judiciary of New Zealand}}
{{See also|Judicial review in New Zealand}}

[[File:New Zealand Supreme Court entrance 2015.JPG|thumb|The Supreme Court building, Wellington]]

The New Zealand judiciary has four basic levels of courts:<ref name="Judiciary">{{cite web|title=Structure of the Court System: Overview|url=https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/about-the-judiciary/structure-of-the-court-system|publisher=Courts of New Zealand|access-date=8 September 2017|language=en-nz}}</ref>
*The [[Supreme Court of New Zealand|Supreme Court]];
*the [[Court of Appeal of New Zealand|Court of Appeal]];
*the [[High Court of New Zealand|High Court]];
*and the [[District Court of New Zealand|District Court]] (including the Youth Court).

The Supreme Court was established in 2004, under the [[Supreme Court Act 2003]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Supreme Court Act 2003 No 53 (as at 01 March 2017), Public Act Contents|url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2003/0053/latest/DLM214028.html|publisher=Parliamentary Counsel Office|access-date=8 September 2017|language=en-NZ}}</ref> and replaced the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council|Privy Council]] in London as New Zealand's [[court of last resort]].<ref>{{cite web|title=History of court system|url=https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/about-the-judiciary/copy_of_overview|publisher=Courts of New Zealand|access-date=8 September 2017|language=en-nz}}</ref> The High Court deals with serious criminal offences and civil matters, and hears appeals from subordinate courts. The Court of Appeal hears appeals from the High Court on points of law.<ref name="Judiciary"/>

The [[Chief Justice of New Zealand|chief justice]], the head of the judiciary, presides over the Supreme Court and is appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister.<ref name="Joseph2012">{{cite encyclopedia|last1=Joseph|first1=Philip A.|last2=Joseph|first2=Thomas|title=Judicial system – Judges|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/judicial-system/page-7|encyclopedia=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|access-date=8 September 2017|date=20 June 2012}}</ref> {{As of|2019}} the incumbent Chief Justice is [[Helen Winkelmann|Dame Helen Winkelmann]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Current Chief Justice|url=https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/about-the-judiciary/role-judges/current-chief|publisher=Courts of New Zealand|access-date=8 September 2017|language=en-nz}}</ref> All other superior court judges are appointed on the advice of the chief justice, the [[Attorney-General (New Zealand)|attorney-general]], and the [[Solicitor-General (New Zealand)|solicitor-general]].<ref name="Joseph2012"/><ref name="appointments">{{cite web|title=Appointments|url=https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/about-the-judiciary/role-judges/appointments|publisher=Courts of New Zealand|access-date=31 January 2017|language=en-nz}}</ref> Judges and judicial officers are appointed non-politically and under strict rules regarding tenure to help maintain [[judicial independence]] from the executive government.<ref name="Joseph2012"/> Judges are appointed according to their qualifications, personal qualities, and relevant experience.<ref name="appointments"/> A judge may not be removed from office except by the attorney-general upon an address of the House of Representatives for proved misbehaviour.<ref name="Joseph2012" />

[[New Zealand law]] has three principal sources: [[English law|English]] [[common law]], certain statutes of the United Kingdom Parliament enacted before 1947 (notably the [[Bill of Rights 1689]]), and [[Lists of acts of the New Zealand Parliament|statutes of the New Zealand Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|title=An Introduction to New Zealand Law & Sources of Legal Information – GlobaLex|url=http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/New_Zealand.html|publisher=New York University School of Law|date=April 2011|access-date=8 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> In interpreting common law, the courts have endeavoured to preserve uniformity with common law as interpreted in the United Kingdom and related jurisdictions.<ref name="McLintock">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/law-history-of |title=Law, History of |editor-first=A. H. | editor-last=McLintock | editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock |orig-year=1966 |date=18 September 2007 |encyclopedia=[[An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=8 September 2017}}</ref>