A former senior trial attorney for the UN, he worked in Tanzania for years
Nicole McKee, associate justice minister, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Moses – a judge of the District Court of New Zealand and, until recently, the executive judge of the Manukau District Court – as chief community magistrate.
The government’s news release noted that Judge Moses will be the first-ever appointee to this new position, which aims to address the increasing number and importance of community magistrates to New Zealand’s entire court system and operations.
In his new role, he will oversee the training, quality, and consistency of community magistrates. He will step into his new position after a ceremonial sitting that seeks to commemorate his appointment on 27 May 2026 at the Manukau District Court.
Moses joined the District Court bench in 2010. Before that, he served as a senior trial attorney for the United Nations. He worked in Tanzania for a number of years.
He was also a founding solicitor of the Mangere Community Law Centre. He earned admission to the bar in 1985.
On 21 August 2025, the government shared that it would be expanding the role of community magistrates to enable them to accept guilty pleas for all offences apart from those reserved for the High Court of New Zealand.
Under the expansion, community magistrates could also manage a broader array of District Court cases, including by presiding over certain trials and ordering pre-sentence reports for the use of sentencing judges.
“Allowing Community Magistrates to handle more straightforward cases means District Court Judges can focus on the complex matters before them, helping reduce the long waits that frustrate victims and delay justice,” McKee said in the government’s prior news release.
She clarified that community magistrates could impose supervision, community service, fines, and other community-based sentences, but could not impose imprisonment, home detention, or other custodial sentences.
To enforce this expansion, the government explained that it would be amending the District Court Act 2016, the Criminal Procedure Act 2011, and the Bail Act 2000.
“Community Magistrates play a valuable part in the District Court but are currently underutilised,” McKee said. “By expanding their jurisdiction, we can reduce bottlenecks, ease pressure on judges, and improve court timeliness.”
The government’s previous news release acknowledged $1.7m in funding for three more community magistrates and the appointment of a judge as chief community magistrate.
