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

(2) There shall also be Clasps to the Medal.

The Medal shall be made of bronze, 36 mm in diameter, and shall bear,—

• (a) on the obverse, the New Zealand Coat of Arms; and

• (b) on the reverse, a representation of a New Zealand fern frond, in the right field, and to the left, 2 swords in saltire, points upward, with a Naval Crown between, and in the centre an eagle, volant affronte, the head lowered and to the sinister; and in the exergue the inscription “THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE SERVICE MEDAL”.

(1) The Clasps to the Medal shall be of bronze and oblong in shape.

(2) On all occasions the Medal is awarded, the Medal shall be awarded with 1 or more Clasps bearing the inscription of the type of service that is to be recognised, namely—

• (a) Regular:

• (b) Territorial:

• (c) C.M.T.:

• (d) National Service.

(1) The Medal shall be worn from the left breast suspended by a ribbon, 32 mm in width, of stripes of green, dark blue, green, red, green, light blue, and green.

(2) When the ribbon is worn alone, a small silver rosette may be worn on the ribbon to represent each additional Clasp.

The Medal and Clasps to the Medal shall be awarded for service under regulations that the Governor-General of New Zealand, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, or a Minister of the Crown acting for the Prime Minister, may determine.

Where a person who is in possession of the Medal and a Clasp qualifies for the Medal and a Clasp for subsequent service of a different nature, that person shall receive only the appropriate Clasp.

Reproductions in miniature of the Medal and Clasps to the Medal, which may be worn on certain occasions by those to whom the Medal and Clasps are awarded, shall not exceed one-half of the size of the full-size Medal and Clasp.

The name of the recipient shall be engraved on the rim of the Medal.

The names of all those persons who receive the Medal and Clasps to the Medal shall be recorded in a register kept by the Chief of Defence Force or a person appointed by the Chief of Defence Force.

It shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and Successors to determine from time to time the order of wear of the New Zealand Defence Service Medal in relation to the insignia of orders, decorations, and medals that have been or may be conferred in Our Realm of New Zealand.

(1) Delegated powers to make awards of the Medal and Clasps to the Medal, under the terms of this Our Warrant and regulations that the Governor-General of New Zealand may from time to time determine, shall be vested in Our Minister of Defence or a Minister of the Crown acting for Our Minister of Defence.

(2) Our Minister of Defence or a Minister of the Crown acting for Our Minister of Defence may delegate powers to make awards of the Medal and Clasps to the Medal, to the Chief of Defence Force or a person acting for, or appointed by, the Chief of Defence Force.

(3) Our Minister of Defence or a Minister of the Crown acting for Our Minister of Defence may delegate powers under clause 12 to the Chief of Defence Force, or a person acting for, or appointed by, the Chief of Defence Force, to cancel and annul awards of the Medal and Clasp to any person and, where the award of the Medal or any Clasp to any person has been cancelled or annulled, to restore the Medal or Clasp to that person.

It shall be competent for our Minister of Defence or a Minister of the Crown acting for Our Minister of Defence—

• (a) to cancel and annul the award of the Medal or any Clasp to any person; and

• (b) where the award of the Medal or any Clasp to any person has been cancelled or annulled, to restore the Medal or Clasp to that person.

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