Rōia o te Karauna | Crown Counsel, Constitutional & Human Rights Team
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna | Crown Law
Fixed term/secondment until December 2026

Mō mātou | About us

Crown Law’s purpose is to serve New Zealand by supporting the Government to operate lawfully. 

Crown Law’s functions are:

• Supporting the Law Officers of the Crown

• Leading the government legal profession

• Overseeing public prosecutions

• Providing legal services to Government

Crown Law provides legal advice and representation services to the Government in matters affecting the executive government. The services Crown Law provides include matters covering judicial review of government actions, constitutional questions including Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi issues, the enforcement of criminal law, and the protection of revenue. Crown Law also administers the prosecution process in the criminal justice system, particularly Crown prosecutions.

We strive to incorporate and reflect te reo Māori and tikanga in the workplace. Crown Law is also committed to flexibility and provides a range of flexible working arrangements that allow our team members to work in ways that allow them and the organisation to perform at their best.

Mō te Tūranga | About the Role

A member of our team is going on secondment, and we are looking to make a secondment/fixed term Crown Counsel appointment into one of Crown Law’s Constitutional & Human Rights Teams until December 2026. The Constitutional & Human Rights Teams undertake Bill of Rights and human rights and constitutional litigation before the senior courts and the Human Rights Review Tribunal. The work is interesting and challenging: In the last year counsel in the team have appeared several times in significant cases in the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal.

The role would suit a lawyer with demonstrable interest and experience in public law litigation, preferably with expertise in constitutional and/or human rights issues. The successful candidate will contribute to the Constitutional & Human Rights Teams’ proven track record of:

• conducting high-level litigation for public sector agencies

• working with senior counsel and recognised experts in their fields

• advising Executive Government on legal risk, policy development and law reform, and topical constitutional issues 

Crown Counsel take a lead role in service delivery, holding themselves to the highest standards of professionalism and working directly with stakeholders in a collaborative “all of government” way, assisted by Assistant Crown Counsel and support staff. 

Location: Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington

This role is Wellington based and located next to Wellington bus and train station. 

Crown Law promotes flexible working so we’d be happy to chat about what flexible working would look like for you and how we can support that. 

The appointing salary range for this role is $114,585-$187,839 based on skills and experience.

Tēnā tonoa mai | Apply Now

All applications should include a covering letter and curriculum vitae.

To be considered for a position at Crown Law you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand and are required to complete a Ministry of Justice Criminal Records check. 

Access requirements and/or whānau support will be taken into account when arranging interviews.

If you have any additional questions about this role or would like to kōrero prior to applying, or if you have a disability that affects the submission of your application through the online process, please email HR@crownlaw.govt.nz.

Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 11 January 2026.

Please note that due to the summer holiday period, we will begin contacting candidates from the week of 12 January 2026.