The Order shall be styled and designated “The New Zealand Order of Merit”.

The Order shall consist of the Sovereign, a Chancellor, and five levels of Membership:

• I Knights and Dames Grand Companions

• II Knights and Dames Companions

• III Companions

• IV Officers

• V Members.

Each of the five levels shall be composed of Ordinary, Additional, and Honorary Members.

We, Our Heirs and Successors, Queens and Kings Regnant of New Zealand, are and forever shall be Sovereigns of this Order.

The Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Realm of New Zealand shall be the Chancellor of this Order and, by virtue thereof, shall be styled the Principal Knight or Dame Grand Companion of the Order.

Persons to be admitted to the Order shall be such persons, being citizens of New Zealand or citizens of Commonwealth Nations of which We are Sovereign, who, in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and the nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions, or other merits.

Persons who are not New Zealand citizens or citizens of nations of which We are Sovereign are eligible to be admitted to this Order and shall be described as:

• I Honorary Knights and Dames Grand Companions

• II Honorary Knights and Dames Companions

• III Honorary Companions

• IV Honorary Officers

• V Honorary Members,

according to the level to which they have been admitted.

An Honorary member of any level of this Order who subsequently becomes a naturalised New Zealand citizen or a citizen of a Commonwealth Nation of which We are Sovereign shall be eligible to be reclassified as an Additional member of the level of which he or she has been admitted in this Order from the date of his or her naturalisation.

Ordinary membership of this Order shall not exceed the following allocations:

• I Knights and Dames Grand Companions, shall not exceed 30 in number at any one time:

• II Knights and Dames Companions, shall not exceed 15 per annum:

• III Companions, shall not exceed 40 per annum:

• IV Officers, shall not exceed 80 per annum:

• V Members, shall not exceed 140 per annum.

Honorary members of the five levels of this Order shall be additional to the Ordinary membership of this Order.

It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, to admit into this Order Additional members in commemoration of any important Royal, State, or National occasion, or to recognise military services rendered in war-like and peace-keeping operations, and such Additional members shall not be included within the number of Ordinary members of this Order.

The Chancellor or Chancellor designate of this Order shall be admitted as an Additional Knight or Dame Grand Companion of this Order. If the Chancellor is, on appointment, already a Knight or Dame Grand Companion, his or her appointment shall thenceforth be treated and regarded as an Additional appointment and shall not affect the allotted Ordinary membership of this Order.

No person shall be eligible to be admitted as an Ordinary, Additional, or Honorary member of this Order unless his or her name has been laid before Us, Our Heirs and Successors, by Our Prime Minister of New Zealand or by a Minister of the Crown deputising for Our Prime Minister.

When We, Our Heirs, or Successors, shall be pleased to appoint any person to the Ordinary, Additional, or Honorary membership of this Order, such appointment shall be made by a Warrant under Our Sign Manual, Sealed with the Seal of this Order, and countersigned by the Chancellor or the Secretary and Registrar acting for the Chancellor of this Order.

Warrants of Appointment to this Order shall be engrossed in English and Maori.

It shall be competent for Our Chancellor of this Order to perform in Our Name, and on Our behalf, the ceremony of investing persons admitted to this Order with the insignia of their dignity and confer the Accolade of Knighthood on Knights Grand Companions and Knights Companions if such Knights have not previously received the Accolade.

It further shall be competent for Our Chancellor of this Order to authorise some distinguished person to perform in Our Name, and on Our behalf, the ceremony of investing persons admitted to this Order with the insignia of their dignity, or to permit the ceremony of investiture to be dispensed with.

The names of those persons appointed to the Ordinary, Additional, and Honorary membership of this Order shall be published in the New Zealand Gazette.

Ordinary, Additional, and Honorary members of this Order shall have the privilege of adding the appropriate letters after their names to denote their membership in this Order, viz:

• I Knights and Dames Grand Companions — GNZM

• II Knights and Dames Companions — KNZM or DNZM

• III Companions — CNZM

• IV Officers — ONZM

• V Members — MNZM

Ordinary and Additional members of the first and second levels of this Order may use the appellations of “Sir”, in the case of a man, or “Dame”, in the case of a woman, before their forenames from the date of their appointment.

The Motto of this Order shall be “For Merit”, in English, and “Tohu Hiranga”, in Maori

The Circlet of the Order shall consist of a green circle, edged gold, and inscribed with the Motto of the Order in gold.

The insignia of the Sovereign of this Order shall be the same as that hereinafter prescribed for Knights and Dames Grand Companions together with the Collar of the Order.

The insignia of the Chancellor of this Order shall be the same as that hereinafter prescribed for Knights and Dames Grand Companions together with the Collar of the Order.

The Collar of the Order to be worn by the Sovereign and Chancellor of this Order shall consist of representations of the Circlet of the Order interchanged with gold Koru, in the form of the letter “S” linked together with, in the centre of the Collar, the shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms ensigned by a Royal Crown, enamelled proper, from which shall hang the Badge of the Order. The Collar shall remain the property of the Order and the Chancellor, on ceasing to hold that Office, shall restore his or her Collar to the service of the Order.

The Collar of the Order shall be worn at Investitures of the Order and on such occasions as the Sovereign or the Chancellor may determine. When the Collar is worn, the Sash and Badge appendant shall not be worn.

The insignia of Knights and Dames Grand Companions shall consist of—

• (a) a Badge in the form of a straight cross paty (or formy) convex in white enamel set in silver-gilt with, in the centre, a medallion comprising the New Zealand Coat of Arms, enamelled proper, within the circlet of the Order, ensigned by a Royal Crown proper:

• (b) a gold eight-pointed Star of equal proportions, each arm bearing in relief a representation of a fern frond, superimposed in the centre of which shall be a smaller representation of the Badge of the Order.

The insignia of Knights and Dames Companions shall consist of—

• (a) a Badge of the same material and fashion as that prescribed for Knights and Dames Grand Companions:

• (b) a silver eight-pointed Star of equal proportions, each arm bearing in relief a representation of a fern frond, superimposed in the centre of which shall be a smaller representation of the Badge of the Order.

The insignia of Companions shall consist of a Badge of the same material and fashion as that prescribed for Knights and Dames Grand Companions.

The insignia of Officers shall consist of a Badge of the same pattern as that prescribed for Knights and Dames Grand Companions, but of a smaller size, and of silver-gilt with the Motto circlet in green enamel.

The insignia of Members shall consist of a Badge of the same pattern as prescribed for Knights and Dames Grand Companions, but of a smaller size, and of silver with the Motto circlet in green enamel.

The Ribbon of this Order from which the Badges of the several levels shall be suspended shall be red ochre (Kōkōwai).

The width of ribbons of this Order from which the Badges of the several levels shall be suspended shall—

• (a) in the case of Knights and Dames Grand Companions, be 100 mm in width; and

• (b) in the case of Knights and Dames Companions, Companions, Officers, and Members, be 38 mm in width.

When ribbons alone are worn, Knights and Dames Grand Companions shall wear the ribbon prescribed for Knights and Dames Companions, Companions, Officers, and Members.

Knights and Dames Grand Companions shall wear—

• (a) the Badge suspended from the wide ribbon or sash passing over the right shoulder to the left side; and

• (b) the Star on the left side of their coat or outer garment.

Knights and Dames Companions shall wear—

• (a) the Badge suspended from a ribbon around the neck or from a ribbon tied in a bow and worn on the left shoulder; and

• (b) the Star on the left side of their coats or outer garments.

Companions shall wear the Badge in the same manner as that prescribed for Knights and Dames Companions.

Officers and Members shall wear the Badge suspended from a ribbon on the left lapel of the coat or from a ribbon tied in a bow and worn on the left shoulder.

On the promotion of a person from a lower to a higher level in this Order, the insignia of such lower level theretofore worn shall be returned to the Secretary and Registrar of the Order.

Miniature Badges to be worn by members of the five levels of this Order shall be reproductions of the Badges of the respective levels, save that they shall in all cases not exceed one half the size of the Badge prescribed for members of the fifth level, or Members, of the Order.

Sealed patterns of the Miniature Badges shall be deposited with and kept by the Secretary and Registrar of this Order.

Lapel Badges, to be worn by members on those occasions it is inappropriate to wear the full-size insignia or miniature Badge, shall not exceed 18 mm in diameter and, for each of the five levels of the Order, shall consist of a red ochre disc with, in the centre,—

• I the Star of the Order with a Crown in the centre, in gold, for Knights and Dames Grand Companions:

• II the Star of the Order with a Crown in the centre, in silver, for Knights and Dames Companions:

• III the Badge or Cross of the Order with a Crown in the centre, in white enamel, for Companions:

• IV the Badge or Cross of the Order with a Crown in the centre, in gold, for Officers:

• V the Badge or Cross of the Order with a Crown in the centre, in silver, for Members.

The Chancellor as Principal Knight or Dame Grand Companion shall take precedence over all other Knights and Dames Grand Companions and on ceasing to be Chancellor shall take precedence among other Knights and Dames Grand Companions according to his or her date of appointment as a Knight or Dame Grand Companion of the Order.

Ordinary members of the Order shall take precedence according to their level and date of appointment to that level.

Additional members shall take precedence among Ordinary members according to their level and their date of appointment to that level.

Honorary members shall take precedence after Ordinary and Additional members according to their level and date of appointment to that level.

It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, to determine from time to time, the precedence of this Order and the order of wear of the insignia of the several levels in relation to Our other Orders of Chivalry and Orders, Decorations, and Medals that have been or may be conferred in Our Realm of New Zealand.

It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, by an Order signed by the Sovereign and sealed with the Seal of this Order, on a recommendation by Our Prime Minister of New Zealand or a Minister of the Crown deputising for Our Prime Minister, to cancel and annul the appointment of any person to this Order, and thereupon the name of such person in the Register shall be erased and the insignia of his or her membership in the Order returned to the Secretary and Registrar of this Order.

It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, on a recommendation by Our Prime Minister of New Zealand or a Minister of the Crown deputising for Our Prime Minister, to restore to this Order any person whose appointment may have been cancelled and annulled.

Persons admitted to this Order who bear or hereinafter bear Armorial Bearings granted or confirmed by Garter Principal King of Arms may enjoy the following privileges of their membership in the Order as follows:

• (a) the Chancellor and Principal Knight or Dame Grand Companion and former Chancellors and Principal Knights or Dames Grand Companions may be granted Supporters by Garter Principal King of Arms, if they do not already enjoy this distinction, and may encircle their escutcheon with a representation of the Collar of the Order:

• (b) Knights and Dames Grand Companions may be granted Supporters by Garter Principal King of Arms, if they do not already enjoy this distinction, and may encircle their escutcheon with the Circlet of the Order and suspend below a representation of their ribbon and Badge:

• (c) Knights and Dames Companions may encircle their escutcheons with the Circlet of the Order and suspend below a representation of their ribbon and Badge:

• (d) Companions, Officers, and Members may suspend a representation of their ribbon and Badge below the escutcheon of their Armorial Bearings.

There shall be a Secretary and Registrar and a Herald of this Order, who shall be appointed by Us, Our Heirs and Successors, and who shall hold the said offices during Our pleasure.

The Badge of the Secretary and Registrar of this Order shall be of the same materials and fashion as that prescribed for the Knights and Dames Companions but surmounted by two crossed quills in gold.

The Badge of the Herald of this Order shall be of the same materials and fashion as that prescribed for the Knights and Dames Companions but surmounted by two crossed batons in gold.

The Badges of Office prescribed for the Secretary and Registrar and Herald of this Order shall be worn suspended from the ribbon of the Order in the same fashion as prescribed for Knights and Dames Companions.

On the resignation, dismissal, or death of the Secretary and Registrar or of the Herald of this Order, his or her Badge of Office shall be restored to the Sovereign of this Order; and each such officer shall, upon receiving his or her Badge, give a written undertaking that his or her Badge will be so restored.

The Secretary and Registrar shall—

• (a) maintain a Register of all members of the Order; and

• (b) prepare all Warrants and other Instruments to be passed under the Seal of the Order; and

• (c) maintain all proceedings and records of the Order; and

• (d) summon all those persons to be admitted to the Order; and

• (e) perform such other duties as may be directed by the Sovereign or the Chancellor of the Order; and

• (f) hold in safe-custody the Seal of the Order.

The Herald of the Order shall—

• (a) supervise the Ceremonials of the Order; and

• (b) prepare certificates for the Garter Principal King of Arms for the grant of Supporters in the case of Knights and Dames Grand Companions; and

• (c) perform such other duties as may be directed by the Sovereign or the Chancellor of the Order.

The Seal of this Order shall consist of a representation of the Badge of the first level of the Order proper within the inscription “Te Waitohu o Te Kāhui Tohu Hiranga”, above, and “The Seal of the New Zealand Order of Merit”, below, and all instruments of the Order, except this Warrant, shall be sealed by and with the same.

We reserve to Ourselves, Our Heirs and Successors, full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting, interpreting or dispensing with this Our Warrant or any part thereof, by a notification under the Sign Manual of the Sovereign of this Order.