The New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal

2013/429

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

The New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal

Elizabeth R

Royal Warrant

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 instituting a medal to be conferred for meritorious service by members of Our New Zealand Defence Force:

We do by these presents for Us, Our Heirs, and Our Successors institute and create a new medal.

1 Designation

  • (1) There shall be a medal designated “The New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal”.

    (2) There shall also be a bar to the medal.

2 Conferral of medal

  • The medal and any bar shall be conferred for meritorious service by members of the New Zealand Defence Force under regulations that the Governor-General of New Zealand, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, may determine.

3 Description of medal

  • The medal shall be in silver and circular in shape and shall bear,—

    • (a) on the obverse, the effigy of the Sovereign within the Royal Styles and Titles for New Zealand; and

    • (b) on the reverse, the inscriptions “FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE” and “HE TOHU HIRANGA” within a wreath of fern fronds surmounted by a Royal Crown.

4 Description of bars

  • Bars shall be in silver and gilt and shall bear a single fern frond.

5 Ribbon

  • (1) The medal shall be worn from the left breast from a crimson ribbon, 32 mm in width, having 3 central stripes of white, green, and white and 2 narrow yellow edge stripes.

    (2) When the ribbon is worn alone, a small silver rosette may be worn on the ribbon for each of the first 3 bars conferred. Where a fourth bar is conferred, the silver rosettes shall be replaced by a single small gilt rosette. An additional small gilt rosette shall be worn for each subsequent bar conferred.

6 Miniatures

  • Reproductions in miniature of the medal and bar, which may be worn on certain occasions by those on whom the medal and bar are conferred, shall not exceed one-half of the size of the full-size medal and bar.

7 Posthumous awards

  • The medal and bars may be conferred posthumously.

8 Engraving of medal

  • The name of the recipient shall be engraved on the rim of the medal.

9 Record

  • The names of all persons who receive the medal and any bars shall be recorded by the Chief of Defence Force (or a person appointed by the Chief of Defence Force).

10 Order of wear

  • It shall be competent for the Governor-General of New Zealand, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, to determine the order of wear of the medal in relation to the insignia of orders, decorations, and medals that have been or may be conferred in Our Realm of New Zealand.

11 Powers of conferral, cancellation, forfeiture, and restoration

  • (1) Powers to confer the medal and any bars under the terms of this Our Warrant and regulations made under clause 2 shall be vested in Our Minister of Defence.

    (2) It shall be competent for Our Minister of Defence to—

    • (a) cancel the conferral of a medal or bar, or both, on any person and alter the person's records accordingly; and

    • (b) order the forfeiture of a medal or bar, or both, by any person and alter the person's records accordingly; and

    • (c) restore a medal or bar, or both, to any person and alter the person's records accordingly.

12 Delegated powers

  • Our Minister of Defence may delegate powers under clause 11 to the Chief of Defence Force (or a person appointed by the Chief of Defence Force).

13 Annulment

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

Given at Our Court of Saint James's, this 15th day of October 2013, in the 62nd Year of Our Reign.

 
By Her Majesty's Command,

  Rt Hon John Key,
 Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the Warrant, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This Warrant establishes The New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal (the medal).

The medal may be conferred for meritorious service by any employee of the New Zealand Defence Force, including civilian staff. The medal may be conferred posthumously. Any subsequent meritorious service is recognised by bars to the medal.

This Warrant—

  • empowers the Governor-General to make regulations for the administration of the medal and bars:

  • empowers the Minister of Defence to confer medals and bars, cancel the conferral of any medal or bar, order the forfeiture of any medal or bar, and restore any medal or bar:

  • permits the Minister of Defence to delegate the Minister's powers in respect of medals and bars to the Chief of Defence Force (or a person appointed by the Chief of Defence Force).

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2012.

Date of notification in Gazette: 17 October 2013.

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