The politics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy. The Monarch of New Zealand,represented in the Cook Islands by the King or Queen's Representative,was the Head of State;the prime minister is the head of government of a multi-party system. The nation is self-governing and are fully responsible for internal and foreign affairs. Since 2001,the Cook Islands has run its own foreign and defence policy. Executive power is exercised by the government,while legislative power is vested in both the government and the islands' parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislatures.
Robin Brunskill Cooke,Baron Cooke of Thorndon,was a New Zealand judge and later a British Law Lord and member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He is widely considered one of New Zealand's most influential jurists,and is the only New Zealand judge to have sat in the House of Lords. He was a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong from 1997 to 2006.
Sir Kenneth James Keith is a New Zealand judge. He was elected to the International Court of Justice in November 2005,serving a nine-year term during the years 2006 through 2015.
Sir Johann Thomas Eichelbaum was a New Zealand jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of New Zealand.
Sir Ivor Lloyd Morgan Richardson was an eminent New Zealand and Commonwealth jurist and legal writer and a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Sir Mason Harold Durie is a New Zealand professor of Māori Studies and research academic at Massey University. He is known for his contributions to Māori health. In 2020,he was appointed to the Order of New Zealand,the highest honour in New Zealand's royal honours system.
Sir Gaven John Donne was a New Zealand-born former Chief Justice of Samoa,Niue,the Cook Islands,Nauru and Tuvalu.
The Chief Justice of the Cook Islands is the head of the Cook Islands judiciary. They preside over the High Court of the Cook Islands and serve as a member of the Cook Islands Court of Appeal. The office was established by the Cook Islands Constitution.
Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie is a New Zealand jurist who served on the High Court of New Zealand between 1998 and 2004. He was the first Māori appointed as a judge of a New Zealand court.
Anthony David Ford was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He served as a judge of the Employment Court of New Zealand and Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Sir Terence Arnold is a judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. He was the Solicitor-General of New Zealand from 2000,before being made a judge of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand in 2006. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on 11 June 2013.
Colin Maurice Nicholson was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He served as a judge of the High Court of New Zealand from 1998 until 2009. He also served as a justice of the High Court of the Cook Islands from his appointment in April 2005 until his retirement in May 2012. In 2011,Nicholson became the first judge to prosecute citizens of the Cook Islands for counterfeit DVD piracy.
Sir John Stephen Kós is a New Zealand judge on the Supreme Court of New Zealand and the former President of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand.
Satiu Simativa Perese is a Samoan judge. He has served as the Chief Justice of Samoa since 12 June 2020.
Sir Richard Ian Barker was a New Zealand jurist. His legal career spanned over six decades. He was a lawyer for 20 years,followed by 20 years as a judge at the High Court,before he worked for another two decades as a mediator and arbitrator. Barker was involved in the law reform in the Cook Islands.
Heta Kenneth Hingston was a New Zealand lawyer and jurist. He served as a judge of the Māori Land Court from 1984 to 1999,as Chief Justice of the High Court of Niue from 1978 until 2010,and as a judge of the High Court of the Cook Islands and the Cook Islands Court of Appeal between 2000 and 2013.
The Court of Appeal of the Cook Islands is the superior court of record for the Cook Islands. It hears appeals from the High Court of the Cook Islands and was established by Article 56 of the Constitution of the Cook Islands.
Mark Leslie Smith Cooper is a New Zealand jurist. He was appointed a High Court judge in 2004,and a judge of the Court of Appeal in 2014. He has been president of the Court of Appeal since 26 April 2022.
Patrick John Keane is a retired New Zealand judge. In December 2022,he was appointed Chief Justice of the Cook Islands,replacing Hugh Williams.
