Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission cannot give legal advice.

We cannot investigate complaints about the courts, judges, lawyers, the police, public sector agencies or their officials.

If you want legal advice or to make a complaint, or are seeking information about the courts, court decisions or government, the links below might help you.

For legal advice

• Find a lawyer by searching the New Zealand Law Society's directory of lawyers.
• Community Law Centres provide free online advice about many topics of law and one-on-one legal help to those who may not be able to afford a lawyer.
• The Citizens Advice Bureau provides free online advice about many topics of law and free in-person information, advice and support on a range of issues.
• Youth Law provides legal services to anyone under 25 who is unable to access legal help elsewhere, or to those acting on their behalf.
• The Ministry of Justice offers advice about how to prepare for court and what to expect, including about legal aid to help with the costs of court proceedings.
• New Zealand Legislation gives free up-to-date access to acts, bills and regulations.
• The New Zealand Legal Information Institute (NZLII) has databases of legislation, articles, reports and judicial decisions from courts and tribunals.
• Essential Legal Research Skills in Aotearoa New Zealand – OER Collective is a free online guide to legal research and citation of New Zealand law It may be useful for members of the public and self-represented litigants. It covers the core skills and knowledge for effective legal research, such as where to find legal information, including case law, legislation and commentary, and explains the different approaches required to locate and cite these sources of law. 

To make a complaint about

• a lawyer or law firm, contact the Lawyers Complaints Service of the New Zealand Law Society.
• a judge or judicial officer, contact the Judicial Conduct Commissioner.
• the police, see New Zealand Police.
• the conduct of a public sector agency or employee, see the Office of the Ombudsman.

For information about the courts and their decisions

• The Ministry of Justice offers advice about how to prepare for court and what to expect, including about legal aid to help with the costs of court proceedings.
• The Courts of New Zealand website provides information on the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court.
• Judicial Decisions Online is the official database of higher courts decisions that are publicly available.
• The District Court website gives information about the courts (including the Youth Court and Family Court) and free access to decisions of the courts.
• Other courts and tribunals have their own websites, such as: Employment Court, Environment Court, Māori Land Court, Disputes Tribunal, Employment Relations Authority and Tenancy Tribunal.
• The New Zealand Legal Information Institute (NZLII) also has judicial decisions from courts and tribunals.

For information about Parliament and central and local government services

• The New Zealand Parliament website provides information about members and Parliament's work programme, including the making and amending of legislation.
• The Directory of Official Information gives a detailed picture of the structure of central government departments and organisations, and enables you to find out exactly where your requests for information should be made.
• Govt.nz is a gateway to information on central and local government services, and government agency contact details.