The minister has responsibility for the formulation of justice policy and for the administration of law courts.

The current Minister of Justice is Paul Goldsmith since 27 November 2023.

The Attorney-General is responsible for supervising New Zealand law and advising the Government on legal matters, and has ministerial jurisdiction over the Crown Law Office and the Parliamentary Counsel Office.

[3] Responsibility for the police has never technically belonged to the Minister of Justice per se.

In 1995, the Department of Justice was split into three parts – a Ministry of Justice would deal with policy matters, while the practical administration of the court system and the prison system would be given their own departments.