Legal Officers in the New Zealand Defence Force
Legal Officers in the New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force is made up of three Services: the New Zealand Naval Forces, the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Royal New Zealand Navy (the regular Navy) and the Air Force each have their own legal branches, and the Army has a legal corps: the New Zealand Army Legal Service.
Although there are three distinct legal branches in the RF, the combined size of the branches (about 20 Regular Force legal officers, when at full strength) means that legal officers' careers are essentially tri-service.
With the establishment of Headquarters Joint Force New Zealand (HQ JFNZ) on 2 July 2001 and consequent disestablishment of the single Service operational headquarters, a number of legal officer appointments were redeployed. The Legal Staff Officer, Land Command (a Lieutenant Colonel (or equivalent)) becomes JSO1 Legal, J09, on the staff of the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. His staff has been drawn from the following disestablished positions: Staff Officer Legal, RNZAF Air Command (Maj (E)); Deputy Staff Officer Legal, Maritime Command (Capt (E)); and Assistant LSO, Land Command (Capt (E)). The office of J09 also has a para-legal (Legal Assistant).
A legal staff officer was permanently deployed with the New Zealand forces in East Timor from their arrival in 1999. The last incumbent, on the headquarters staff of the New Zealand Battalion Group in Suai, was withdrawn when New Zealand's final battalion group contribution (NZBATT 6) left East Timor in November 2002.
The October 2001 edition of the New Zealand Armed Forces Law Review includes an article on some legal aspects of the New Zealand Defence Force's deployment to East Timor.
Contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom
New Zealand has made a number of contributions to the 'war on terrorism', including the sequential deployment to the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman of HMNZ ships Te Kaha and Te Mana, which are the RNZN's two ANZAC-class frigates. Legal officers were deployed with both ships.
Territorial Force Legal Officers
The New Zealand Army Legal Service also employs Territorial Force (TF) legal officers. These are part-time military lawyers, who generally work in civilian private practice the rest of the time. Each Army legal office has three positions for TF legal officers. Their role is to augment the office in times of heightened activity and to provide staff supplementation when the RF legal officer is absent.
Two of the TF legal officers on the staff of LSO 2 Land Force Group are attached to 1 NZ Special Air Service Group in Auckland.
For information about career opportunities as a NZDF legal officer in the RF or TF, AFLANZ recommends you contact
your nearest Armed Forces recruiting centre and/or make enquiries of the Director of Legal Services.
