1. Statutory officers operate independently from the Government and government departments and, as such, are not government employees. There is no employee-employer relationship between statutory officers and the Ministry of Justice.
2. The time commitment of a statutorily appointed role varies depending on the caseload and resourcing needs of the tribunal or authority. Part-time appointments can be for as little as a few hours a month and it may be necessary for an appointee to have other sources of income.
3. Appointments are for a fixed term and, while reappointments are possible, there is no guarantee of reappointment on expiry of term.
4. Most statutory officer roles are remunerated by way of a daily fee paid for days worked. The daily fees are set in accordance with the Cabinet Fees Framework. More information on the Fees Framework is available on the State Services Commission website:
Fees and allowances for statutory and other bodies(external link)
5. Remuneration for statutory officers is not tied to individual performance. An independent remuneration review is undertaken every two years to examine all fees paid to statutory officers under the Fees Framework and make recommendations to Ministers on any changes to fees that may be appropriate or necessary.
6. Daily fees may be annualised, on a full-time or part-time basis, where workloads and time commitments are known to be consistent.
7. Some statutory roles have their remuneration set and reviewed by the Remuneration Authority. A list of these roles is available on the Remuneration Authority website:
Remuneration Authority(external link)
8. As statutory officers are not employees, the Holidays Act does not apply. This means there is no entitlement to paid annual leave, public holidays, sick leave or bereavement leave. Statutory Officers are paid for days worked.
9. Full-time roles are remunerated on the basis of a maximum 230* working days per year. The remaining 31 days are unpaid.
10. The Ministry of Justice reimburses statutory officers for any actual and reasonable expenses directly related to statutory duties.
11. The Ministry arranges and pays for any flights or accommodation required to carry out statutory functions, such as travelling away from home for hearings. Meal allowances also apply for meals away from home while on statutory duty.
12. There are no entitlements to car parks, and statutory officers are not entitled to superannuation or employer contributions to Kiwisaver.
* 230 workings days is arrived at by commencing with 365 days per year from which 104 weekend days and the equivalent of 11 public holidays are deducted. A further 20 days is deducted as unpaid days, commonly referred to as ‘leave’.