The Disputes Tribunal is currently seeking expressions of interest for the role of Referee in the following regions:

• WELLINGTON
• INVERCARGILL
• ROTORUA
• PALMERSTON NORTH
• HAMILTON

The Disputes Tribunal is a division of the District Court that hears civil claims up to a value of $60,000.00. The jurisdiction of the Tribunal includes contract, commercial, consumer and property damage claims. Referees are appointed as judicial officers by warrant from the Governor- General on the advice of the Associate Minister of Justice. Most Referees begin by sitting between 2-4 days a week. The role is able to be part time or full time.

Referees conduct hearings either remotely or in a hearing room at the District Court. During the hearing, the Referee may facilitate a resolution, or if this is not possible, provide a written decision on the matter. This decision has the status of a District Court order. As a judicial officer working in a Tribunal setting, you would need to have strong legal and analytical abilities, hold relevant qualifications in law, mediation or arbitration, and enjoy working with people from all walks of life to help them resolve their differences. Full training is provided. Referees are paid $980.00 per sitting day.

Successful candidates will show abilities in listening, assessing information, making decisions, relating to a wide variety of people, responding sensitively to cultural differences, expressing themselves clearly, and be able to engage in alternative ways of resolving disputes. A Referee also needs to show common sense and practical judgement and must be able to act with fairmindedness and impartiality. The criteria for assessment are set out in R38 of the Disputes Tribunal Rules 1989.

To begin the application process, please send an expression of interest to disputestribunal@justice.govt.nz. An application pack will then be sent to you. All completed applications need to be returned to the same email address by 5:00pm on Tuesday, 24 November 2026.

The Mental Health Review Tribunal (Tribunal) is seeking applications from suitably qualified and experienced individuals for appointment to the following roles, with appointments anticipated to commence from August 2027:

• Medical Members
• Legal Members
• Community Members

About the Tribunal

The Tribunal is an independent decision making body established under the Mental Health Act 2016. The Tribunal reviews matters relating to the involuntary status of persons with mental illness and/or intellectual disability, including treatment authorities, forensic orders, treatment support orders and fitness for trial determinations. Further information regarding the Tribunal can be found here.

About the Roles

Medical Member

To be eligible you must be a registered psychiatrist, preferably a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Legal Member

A person eligible must be an Australian lawyer of at least five years standing. That is, you must have been admitted to the legal profession in Australia for a minimum of five years.

Community Member

A person who is not a lawyer or a doctor but has other qualifications and experience that are relevant to exercising the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.

Further information

People from a diverse range of backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

People with lived experience are also encouraged to apply.

Applicants with experience or expertise in the intellectual disability field, particularly forensic disability, are also encouraged to apply.

How to apply & further information

Before applying, applicants should review the Tribunal Member Information Pack and relevant Role Description.

Visit the below website for more information and to apply.

SESSIONAL ARBITRATORS

The WorkCover WA Workers Compensation Arbitration Service determines workers compensation disputes in a manner that is fair, just, economical, informal and efficient.

Key Responsibilities

Arbitrators are responsible for resolving, by binding determination, disputes between the parties to a workers’ compensation claim. WorkCover WA engages sessional arbitrators on a contractual basis to assist with management of the dispute caseload and work may be allocated to sessional arbitrators by the Registrar of the Workers’ Compensation Arbitration Service.

Sessional Arbitrators are appointed via a statutory designation under the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 (the Act).

Sessional Arbitrators are required to comply with the conduct and engagement protocols of WorkCover WA.

Duties

Hear and determine workers’ compensation disputes in accordance with the Act by:

• presiding over arbitration hearings and making final and binding determinations on disputed claims for compensation in accordance with the Act;
• presiding over directions and interlocutory hearings and issuing interlocutory and case management orders in disputes
• producing timely written reasons for determination identifying the findings of fact and law applied in coming to that determination;
• conducting proceedings in accordance with the Arbitration Rules.

Undertake the duties of an arbitrator in accordance with the professional and administrative requirements set by the Registrar and the Arbitration Service.

Work collaboratively with the staff of the Arbitration Service to produce high quality and timely decisions.

Work with the electronic case management system in use in the Arbitration Service.

WorkCover WA is currently seeking applications from experienced legal practitioners for engagement as sessional Arbitrators. To undertake this role, you must be a legal practitioner as defined in the Legal Profession Uniform Law, with at least 5 years of experience in a legal role post-admission and a current practicing certificate.

Suitable applicants will be placed in the sessional Arbitrator pool and may be considered for sessional work over the next 12 months, with the possibility of extension. Work as a sessional Arbitrator may be allocated by the Registrar, Arbitration. Engagement provides no guarantee of allocation of work.

For further information about the role please contact Ms Dilhari Gustavino, A/Registrar Arbitration on 9388 5566.

To apply for this role applicants are required to submit the following documents to human.resources@workcover.wa.gov.au :

• A written application of no more than 3 pages addressing the Key responsibilities and Duties; and
• A comprehensive curriculum vitae

Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 5 pm.