You can request official information from us under the Official Information Act 1982.
You can also request any personal information we might hold about you under the Privacy Act 2020.
The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) entitles New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, persons in Aotearoa New Zealand, and companies incorporated in or with a place of business in Aotearoa New Zealand to request official information from the Commission.
How to request information
The Office of the Ombudsman provides guidance for making an Official Information Act request.
Before you make an official information request, we suggest you check to see if the information you need is already available on our website – for example, in our corporate information or on our project pages or publications.
The government department responsible for the relevant law is usually the best source for information about progress on the implementation of the recommendations in our reports. See the Directory of Official Information to request information from another agency. The department responsible for administering an Act is specified in the Act – see New Zealand Legislation.
You can request information from the Commission by using our contact form or by letter, email or phone – see our contact details.
When you make your request, please provide your name and contact details and be as specific as you can about the information you want so we can provide the right information to you as soon as we can.
When we will respond
We will acknowledge your request and will respond as soon as we can. Generally, this will be no later than 20 working days after we receive your request. However, for requests that are large or complex or require consultation with others who may be affected, we may need to extend the time of our response. In this case, we will let you know and will give you a specific due date.
If we cannot give you the information
The Commission will provide the information you request unless there is good reason for withholding it under the Official Information Act. When we withhold information, we will tell you which part of the Act applies.
Sometimes we may not hold the information you request. If we think another agency may be able to provide the information, we may transfer the request to them. We will check with you before we do this.
Publication of your request
If we think there may be a wider interest in the information you have requested, we may consider publishing our response to you on our website. If we do, we will let you know and will remove any information that may identify you before we publish.
If you are unhappy with our response
If you are unhappy with our response to your request or the way that it was processed, we suggest you contact us first to see if we can resolve the issue.
If we are unable to help further, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Statistics on response performance
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman publish statistics of the response performance of public organisations, including the Law Commission, as part of a programme to improve transparency of decisions made under the Official Information Act.
- Public Service Commission – Official Information Act statistics
- Office of the Ombudsman – Official Information Act complaints data
Directory of Official Information
Not sure if the Commission is the right agency to ask? The Directory of Official Information aims to assist members of the public to exercise their rights under the Official Information Act effectively by:
- giving a detailed picture of the structure of central Government departments and organisations
- enabling people to find out exactly where their requests for information should be made.
Under the Privacy Act 2020, you may request personal information we might hold about you. You do not have to be a citizen or permanent resident or be in New Zealand to ask for this information.
See our Privacy statement.
How to request personal information
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner provides guidance for making personal information requests.
You can request information from the Commission by using our contact form or by letter, email or phone – see our contact details.
When you make your request, please provide your name and contact details and be as specific as you can about the information you want so we can provide the right information to you as soon as we are able to.
When we will respond
We will acknowledge your request and will respond as soon as we can. Generally, this is no later than 20 working days after we receive your request. However, for requests that are large or complex or require consultation with others who may be affected, we may need to extend the time of our response. In this case we will let you know and will give you a specific due date.
Have your say
Tells us your views about the law we are reviewing or suggest a topic of law for review.
Find legal help or information
For links to sources of legal help or information.