Section 67 — Residential Tenancies Act 1986: Constitution of Tribunal

67 Constitution of Tribunal (1) For the purposes of this Act there is hereby constituted a tribunal, to be called the Tenancy Tribunal. (2) The Tribunal shall consist of— (a) One person, being a person who has held a required qualification for at least 5 years, who shall be appointed to be the Principal Tenancy Adjudicator: (b) [Repealed] (c) Such number of other persons as may be required to ensure the efficient and expeditious exercise of the jurisdiction of the Tribunal throughout New Zealand, who shall be appointed to be Tenancy Adjudicators. (2A) One Tenancy Adjudicator, being a person who has held a required qualification for at least 5 years, may be appointed to be the Deputy Principal Tenancy Adjudicator. (3) Every Tenancy Adjudicator shall be appointed by the Governor-General on the joint recommendation of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Housing. (4) No person who has attained the age of 70 years shall be eligible for appointment to the Tribunal. (5) No person shall be eligible for appointment to the Tribunal unless that person— (a) Has a required qualification; or (b) Is, in the opinion of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Housing, otherwise capable by reason of special knowledge or experience of performing and exercising the duties, functions, and powers of a Tenancy Adjudicator. (6) In recommending persons for appointment to the Tribunal under subsection (2)(c) of this section, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Housing shall ensure, so far as practicable, that— (a) There will be at least 1 Tenancy Adjudicator generally available to exercise the jurisdiction of the Tribunal at each of the places listed in Schedule 1 to this Act; and (b) There will be sufficient Tenancy Adjudicators who have a required qualification to ensure the efficient and expeditious dispatch of those cases that are directed by the Principal Tenancy Adjudicator, under section 84(3) of this Act, to be heard and determined by a Tenancy Adjudicator who has a required qualification, whether sitting alone or with any other Tenancy Adjudicator. (7) The office of Tenancy Adjudicator shall not be held in conjunction with any office or employment in the Public Service, nor with any other office or employment that, in the opinion of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Housing, is inconsistent with the office of Tenancy Adjudicator. (8) The duties, functions, and powers of the Tribunal shall not be affected by any vacancy in its membership. (9) In this section, the term a required qualification means— (a) A practising certificate as a barrister or solicitor, or as both a barrister and solicitor, of the High Court of New Zealand; or (b) An equivalent qualification issued or recognised by the appropriate authority in any Commonwealth country, or in any other common law country or state. Subsection (2)(b) was repealed, as from 1 May 1996, by section 28(1) Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7). Subsection (2A) was inserted, and subsection (3) was substituted, as from 1 May 1996, by section 28(2) Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7). Subsection (5)(b) was amended, as from 1 May 1996, by section 28(3) Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7) by inserting the words “ and the Minister of Housing ” . Subsection (6) was amended, as from 1 May 1996, by section 28(4) Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7) by inserting the words “ and the Minister of Housing ” . Subsection (7) was amended, as from 1 May 1996, by section 28(5) Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7) by inserting the words “ and the Minister of Housing ” .