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High and district court judges racked up more than $2.5 million in travel and expense claims last year - with nearly $150,000 of that spent on travel for partners.
The Ministry of Justice released figures to the Herald on Sunday under the Official Information Act but would not go into specifics on what each judge claimed.
It did, however, confirm that in the year to December 31 last year judges spent:
$1.5m on "accommodation and expense allowances while on circuit".
$317,242 on domestic airfares.
$162,946 on overseas travel.
$167,050 for mileage allowance paid out to judges using private vehicles.
$147,538 on "judges' partners travel while on circuit".
$103,668 on mobile and telephone rental and usage.
$47,328 on costs associated with conferences and training.
The biggest spender on international travel and accommodation was Judge Jeremy Doogue, who notched up $30,000 attending conferences in The Hague. Judge Teresa Doherty was the second highest spender of the 30 or so judges who travelled overseas last year, costing $12,691 for attending a conference held in Spain.
Ministry spokeswoman Liz Sinclair stressed all expense claims were work-related and judges paid for personal travel.
The ministry's "financial policies manual" states that "all employees are expected to conduct their travel so as to achieve the business objectives efficiently, effectively and consistent with minimising overall cost".
In the past judges spending has largely escaped public scrutiny but 11 years ago, in a precedent-setting case, two members of the judiciary were hauled before the courts on fraud charges relating to their expense claims.
Judge Robert Hesketh pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud, was fined $8000 and ordered to pay $2000 costs, while Judge Martin Beattie managed to successfully defend 45 charges of expense claim fraud. Hesketh later appeared before the law practitioners' disciplinary tribunal and was struck off the roll of practising barristers and solicitors, ending his promising career as a district court judge.
He now works for the Human Rights Commission. Beattie sits in judgement on disputes arising under the Accident Rehabilitation Compensation Act 1992.
