Balance on the bench: Predictors and correlates of stress among judicial officers in Aotearoa, New Zealand
About the project
Judicial officers in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), including judges, community magistrates, and coroners, face significant work-related stress, burnout, and secondary trauma that can diminish their psychological wellbeing. Despite growing international attention to judicial wellbeing, culminating in the 2024 Nauru Declaration and the Chief Justice’s 2025 report highlighting these concerns, no empirical research has been conducted in New Zealand to understand the specific challenges faced by our judicial officers.
Similar to research on judicial wellbeing conducted in Australia, the project will fund the first comprehensive study of judicial wellbeing in New Zealand. The study will involve surveying 150-200 judicial officers nationally to assess psychological distress, secondary traumatic stress, job satisfaction, burnout, and coping mechanisms. The results from this project will be used to produce evidence-based recommendations to support judicial officers’ mental health.
Grant amount
$140,391 for work in 2026-2027.
About the researchers
Professor Ian Lambie is a registered clinical psychologist and Chief Science Advisor for the Justice Sector. He also works part-time at the University of Auckland where he undertakes research and supervises clinical doctoral students. He heads the Judicial Wellbeing Programme for Aotearoa New Zealand and has previously received Borrin Foundation funding for research on children who offend. Ian has worked for 35 years with children and families, specialising particularly in youth justice and more recently, children who offend.
Dr Kahn Tasker is a professional teaching fellow in clinical psychology at the University of Auckland, and a registered clinical psychologist. His research interests focus on effective prevention and intervention of mental health difficulties and informing government policy in mental health and youth justice.
Contact
Ian Lambie, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Auckland
i.lambie@auckland.ac.nz