New service to strengthen consistency of alcohol and other drug reports for the courts
The Ministry of Justice is establishing a new Approved Alcohol and Other Drug Report Writer Service (the service) to improve the consistency and efficiency of AOD (Alcohol and Other Drug) reports used in the criminal courts. Applications are now open for qualified AOD practitioners to join the new service, which will begin operating in June 2026.
AOD reports provide the District Court, High Court, and legal aid providers with specialist assessments to support sentencing and rehabilitation pathways. The new service will replace varied local arrangements with a national panel of approved AOD report writers who meet clear qualification and practice standards.
Approved writers on the panel will use a standardised, judiciary-endorsed report template that focuses on the key information that the judiciary needs regarding alcohol and other drug usage and treatment.
Joining the service will create opportunities for report writers because:
- court-ordered reports will only be sourced from report writers on the panel
- reports by approved writers will be quicker and easier to approve through legal aid
- the service is nationwide, and writers may receive requests from courts across the country.
To qualify, applicants must:
- hold relevant professional registration, have at least two years’ experience in the alcohol and other drug sector, and meet the Ministry’s requirements for information management and security; and
- have completed, or complete within 12 months of joining, the Ministry’s free Family Violence Sexual Violence Response Training.
The first application round opens 5 March and closes 8 April 2026. Applications received after this date will still be accepted but may take longer to process.
More information, including the application form and standard terms and conditions, is available on the Ministry's website.
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