Statutes of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Reprint as at 26 July 1996

Statutes of the New Zealand Order of Merit

(SR 1996/205)

Elizabeth R

Royal Warrant

Note

Changes authorised by section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 have been made in this reprint.

A general outline of these changes is set out in the notes at the end of this reprint, together with other explanatory material about this reprint.

This warrant is administered by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith; to all to whom these Presents shall come,

Greeting!

Whereas We are desirous of signifying Our appreciation of important and meritorious services to Our Realm of New Zealand:

We do by these presents for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, institute and create a new Order of Chivalry:

1 Style and designation

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

2 Membership

  • 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.

3 

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

4 Sovereign

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

5 Chancellor and Principal Knight or Dame Grand Companion

  • 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.

6 Persons eligible to be admitted to 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.

7 Persons eligible to be admitted as Honorary members of the five levels

  • 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.

8 Honorary members to be reclassified as Ordinary members

  • 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.

9 Ordinary members' allocations

  • 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.

10 Honorary members' allocations

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

11 Additional members

  • 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.

12 Chancellor and Principal Knight or Dame Grand Companion to be Additional

  • 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.

13 Prime Minister to submit names for admission

  • 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.

14 Appointments to be made by Warrant

  • 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.

15 Warrants

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

16 Investitures

  • 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.

17 Dispensing with investitures

  • 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.

18 Appointments to be published in New Zealand Gazette

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

19 Post nominal letters

  • 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

20 Knights and Dames

  • 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.

21 Motto of the Order

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

22 

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

23 Insignia of the Sovereign

  • 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.

24 Insignia of the Chancellor

  • 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.

25 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.

26 Wearing of the Collar

  • 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.

27 Insignia of Knights and Dames Grand Companions

  • 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.

28 Insignia of Knights and Dames Companions

  • 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.

29 Insignia of Companions

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

30 Insignia of Officers

  • 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.

31 Insignia of Members

  • 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.

32 Ribbon of the Order

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

33 Size of ribbons of the Order

  • 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.

34 

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

35 Method of wearing insignia by Knights and Dames Grand Companions

  • 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.

36 Method of wearing insignia by Knights and Dames Companions.

  • 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.

37 Method of wearing insignia by Companions

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

38 Method wearing insignia by Officers and Members

  • 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.

39 Return of insignia on promotion

  • 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.

40 Miniature Badges

  • 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.

41 Sealed patterns of Miniature Badges

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

42 Lapel Badges

  • 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.

43 Precedence within the Order

  • 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.

44 

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

45 

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

46 

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

47 Precedence of the Order and order of wear of insignia

  • 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.

48 Cancellations of appointments

  • 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.

49 Restoration to the 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.

50 Armorial Bearings

  • 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.

51 Officers of the Order

  • 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.

52 Badges of Secretary and Registrar

  • 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.

53 Badge of the Herald

  • 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.

54 Ribbons of Badges of Office

  • 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.

55 Restoration of the Badges of Office

  • 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.

56 Duties of the Secretary and Registrar

  • 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.

57 Duties of the Herald

  • 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.

58 Seal 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.

59 Power reserved to alter Warrant

  • 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.

Given under the Seal of New Zealand at Our Court at St James's, this 30th day of May 1996 in the forty-fifth year of Our Reign.


By Her Majesty's Command.

[Seal]

Jim Bolger,
Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Issued under the authority of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989.

Date of notification in Gazette: 25 July 1996.

Contents

  • 1General

  • 2Status of reprints

  • 3How reprints are prepared

  • 4Changes made under section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989

  • 5List of amendments incorporated in this reprint (most recent first)

Notes
1 General

  • This is a reprint of the Statutes of the New Zealand Order of Merit. The reprint incorporates all the amendments to the warrant as at 26 July 1996, as specified in the list of amendments at the end of these notes.

    Relevant provisions of any amending enactments that contain transitional, savings, or application provisions that cannot be compiled in the reprint are also included, after the principal enactment, in chronological order. For more information, see http://www.pco.parliament.govt.nz/reprints/ .

2 Status of reprints

  • Under section 16D of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989, reprints are presumed to correctly state, as at the date of the reprint, the law enacted by the principal enactment and by the amendments to that enactment. This presumption applies even though editorial changes authorised by section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 have been made in the reprint.

    This presumption may be rebutted by producing the official volumes of statutes or statutory regulations in which the principal enactment and its amendments are contained.

3 How reprints are prepared

  • A number of editorial conventions are followed in the preparation of reprints. For example, the enacting words are not included in Acts, and provisions that are repealed or revoked are omitted. For a detailed list of the editorial conventions, see http://www.pco.parliament.govt.nz/editorial-conventions/ or Part 8 of the Tables of New Zealand Acts and Ordinances and Statutory Regulations and Deemed Regulations in Force.

4 Changes made under section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989

  • Section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 authorises the making of editorial changes in a reprint as set out in sections 17D and 17E of that Act so that, to the extent permitted, the format and style of the reprinted enactment is consistent with current legislative drafting practice. Changes that would alter the effect of the legislation are not permitted.

    A new format of legislation was introduced on 1 January 2000. Changes to legislative drafting style have also been made since 1997, and are ongoing. To the extent permitted by section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989, all legislation reprinted after 1 January 2000 is in the new format for legislation and reflects current drafting practice at the time of the reprint.

    In outline, the editorial changes made in reprints under the authority of section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 are set out below, and they have been applied, where relevant, in the preparation of this reprint:

    • •omission of unnecessary referential words (such as “of this section” and “of this Act”)

    • •typeface and type size (Times Roman, generally in 11.5 point)

    • •layout of provisions, including:

      • •indentation

      • •position of section headings (eg, the number and heading now appear above the section)

    • •format of definitions (eg, the defined term now appears in bold type, without quotation marks)

    • •format of dates (eg, a date formerly expressed as “the 1st day of January 1999” is now expressed as “1 January 1999”)

    • •position of the date of assent (it now appears on the front page of each Act)

    • •punctuation (eg, colons are not used after definitions)

    • •Parts numbered with roman numerals are replaced with arabic numerals, and all cross-references are changed accordingly

    • •case and appearance of letters and words, including:

      • •format of headings (eg, headings where each word formerly appeared with an initial capital letter followed by small capital letters are amended so that the heading appears in bold, with only the first word (and any proper nouns) appearing with an initial capital letter)

      • •small capital letters in section and subsection references are now capital letters

    • •schedules are renumbered (eg, Schedule 1 replaces First Schedule), and all cross-references are changed accordingly

    • •running heads (the information that appears at the top of each page)

    • •format of two-column schedules of consequential amendments, and schedules of repeals (eg, they are rearranged into alphabetical order, rather than chronological).

5 List of amendments incorporated in this reprint (most recent first)