# Minister of Justice (New Zealand)

The Minister of Justice is a minister in the New Zealand Government. The minister has responsibility for the formulation of justice policy and for the administration of law courts.
The current Minister of Justice is Paul Goldsmith since 27 November 2023.

## History

The first Minister of Justice was appointed in 1870. This was followed in 1872 by the creation of the Department of Justice.
The Attorney-General is responsible for supervising New Zealand law and advising the Government on legal matters, and has ministerial jurisdiction over the Crown Law Office and the Parliamentary Counsel Office. The position is separate from that of 'Minister of Justice', though the two positions have sometimes been held by the same person, e.g. Geoffrey Palmer (1984 to 1989).
Responsibility for the police has never technically belonged to the Minister of Justice per se. Originally, the Minister of Defence was responsible. During the early 20th century, however, it became established that the person serving as Minister of Justice was also the minister in charge of the police. This continued until the election of the First Labour Government in 1935, when responsibility for the police became detached – the Minister of Police was eventually established as a full ministerial post in 1969.
In 1995, the Department of Justice was split into three parts – a Ministry of Justice would deal with policy matters, while the practical administration of the court system and the prison system would be given their own departments. This resulted in the creation of two new ministerial portfolios – Minister of Court and Minister of Corrections. The former has since been absorbed back into the Justice portfolio, but the latter is still independent.

## List of justice ministers
### Key

Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | Henry Sewell | 13 June 1870 | 30 October 1871 | Fox |
| 2 | John Bathgate | 29 October 1872 | 20 February 1874 | Waterhouse |
| 2 | John Bathgate | 29 October 1872 | 20 February 1874 | Fox |
| 2 | John Bathgate | 29 October 1872 | 20 February 1874 | Vogel |
| 3 | Maurice O'Rorke | 20 February 1874 | 13 August 1874 | Vogel |
| 4 | Charles Bowen | 16 December 1874 | 13 October 1877 | Vogel |
| 4 | Charles Bowen | 16 December 1874 | 13 October 1877 | Pollen |
| 4 | Charles Bowen | 16 December 1874 | 13 October 1877 | Vogel |
| 4 | Charles Bowen | 16 December 1874 | 13 October 1877 | Atkinson |
| 5 | John Sheehan | 13 October 1877 | 8 October 1879 | Grey |
| 6 | William Rolleston | 15 December 1880 | 13 April 1881 | Hall |
| 7 | Thomas Dick | 13 April 1881 | 11 October 1882 | Hall |
| 7 | Thomas Dick | 13 April 1881 | 11 October 1882 | Whitaker |
| 8 | Edward Conolly | 11 October 1882 | 16 August 1884 | Whitaker |
| 8 | Edward Conolly | 11 October 1882 | 16 August 1884 | Atkinson |
| 9 | Joseph Tole | 3 September 1884 | 8 October 1887 | Stout |
| 10 | Thomas Fergus | 8 October 1887 | 17 October 1889 | Atkinson |
| 11 | William Russell | 17 October 1889 | 24 January 1891 | Atkinson |
| 12 | William Pember Reeves | 24 January 1891 | 28 May 1892 | Ballance |
| 13 | Alfred Cadman | 28 May 1892 | 1 May 1893 | Ballance |
| 13 | Alfred Cadman | 28 May 1892 | 1 May 1893 | Seddon |
| (12) | William Pember Reeves | 20 July 1893 | 6 September 1893 | Seddon |
| (13) | Alfred Cadman | 6 September 1893 | 28 March 1895 | Seddon |
| (12) | William Pember Reeves | 28 March 1895 | 10 January 1896 | Seddon |
| 14 | William Hall-Jones | 10 January 1896 | 2 March 1896 | Seddon |
| 15 | Thomas Thompson | 2 March 1896 | 23 January 1900 | Seddon |
| 16 | James McGowan | 23 January 1900 | 6 January 1909 | Seddon |
| 16 | James McGowan | 23 January 1900 | 6 January 1909 | Hall-Jones |
| 16 | James McGowan | 23 January 1900 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| 17 | John Findlay | 6 January 1909 | 26 December 1911 | Ward |
| 18 | Josiah Hanan | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| 19 | Alexander Herdman | 10 July 1912 | 12 August 1915 | Massey |
| 20 | Robert McNab | 12 August 1915 | 20 February 1917 | Massey |
| (18) | Josiah Hanan | 20 February 1917 | 14 November 1917 | Massey |
| 21 | Thomas Wilford | 14 November 1917 | 25 August 1919 | Massey |
| 22 | Gordon Coates | 4 September 1919 | 3 April 1920 | Massey |
| 23 | Ernest Lee | 3 April 1920 | 13 January 1923 | Massey |
| 24 | Francis Bell | 13 January 1923 | 27 June 1923 | Massey |
| 25 | James Parr | 27 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Massey |
| 25 | James Parr | 27 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Bell |
| 25 | James Parr | 27 June 1923 | 18 January 1926 | Coates |
| 26 | Frank Rolleston | 18 January 1926 | 26 November 1928 | Coates |
| 27 | William Downie Stewart Jr | 26 November 1928 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| (21) | Thomas Wilford | 10 December 1928 | 10 December 1929 | Ward |
| 28 | Thomas Sidey | 18 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| 29 | John Cobbe | 28 May 1930 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 30 | Rex Mason | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1949 | Savage |
| 30 | Rex Mason | 6 December 1935 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 31 | Clifton Webb | 13 December 1949 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| 32 | Jack Marshall | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 32 | Jack Marshall | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| (30) | Rex Mason | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| 33 | Ralph Hanan | 12 December 1960 | 24 July 1969 | Holyoake |
| 34 | Dan Riddiford | 22 December 1969 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| 35 | Roy Jack | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 36 | Martyn Finlay | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Kirk |
| 36 | Martyn Finlay | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 37 | David Thomson | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 38 | Jim McLay | 13 December 1978 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 39 | Geoffrey Palmer | 26 July 1984 | 8 August 1989 | Lange |
| 40 | Bill Jeffries | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 40 | Bill Jeffries | 8 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 41 | Doug Graham | 2 November 1990 | 1 February 1999 | Bolger |
| 41 | Doug Graham | 2 November 1990 | 1 February 1999 | Shipley |
| 42 | Tony Ryall | 1 February 1999 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 43 | Phil Goff | 10 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 44 | Mark Burton | 19 October 2005 | 31 October 2007 | Clark |
| 45 | Annette King | 31 October 2007 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 46 | Simon Power | 19 November 2008 | 12 December 2011 | Key |
| 47 | Judith Collins | 12 December 2011 | 30 August 2014 | Key |
| – | Chris Finlayson Acting Minister | 30 August 2014 | 8 October 2014 | Key |
| 48 | Amy Adams | 8 October 2014 | 26 October 2017 | Key |
| 48 | Amy Adams | 8 October 2014 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| 49 | Andrew Little | 26 October 2017 | 6 November 2020 | Ardern |
| 50 | Kris Faafoi | 6 November 2020 | 14 June 2022 | Ardern |
| 51 | Kiri Allan | 14 June 2022 | 24 July 2023 | Ardern |
| 51 | Kiri Allan | 14 June 2022 | 24 July 2023 | Hipkins |
| 52 | Ginny Andersen | 24 July 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| 53 | Paul Goldsmith | 27 November 2023 | present | Luxon |