Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is conducting a review of surrogacy in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The scope of our review is set out in the Terms of Reference, which were published on 8 March 2021. You can find the Terms of Reference...
Our projects
Each project is an area of law or subject matter that the Law Commission has agreed to review. The Commission works on several projects at a time. Together, these projects make up the Commission's annual work programme.
Use the search filters below to find particular projects. For more information on how we work see how we conduct projects.
Project status
Areas of law
- (-) Remove Human Rights filter Human Rights
- (-) Remove Family filter Family
- (-) Remove Courts and Dispute Resolution filter Courts and Dispute Resolution
- Criminal (4) Apply Criminal filter
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- International Law (2) Apply International Law filter
- Public (2) Apply Public filter
- Civil (1) Apply Civil filter
Project status: Researching issues
Start date 23 November 2020
Last updated 15 April 2021
Project status: Awaiting Government Response
Start date 27 July 2016
Last updated 24 November 2020
The forensic analysis of DNA is a powerful tool in solving crime. However, the use of DNA in criminal investigations also raises important legal and ethical issues.
In New Zealand the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995...
Project status: Awaiting Government Response
Start date 28 June 2016
Last updated 15 October 2018
The Law Commission and the Ministry of Justice conducted a review of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, as is required by section 357 of that Act. The review was referred to us by the then Minister of Justice on 28 June 2016 and we jointly...
Project status: Awaiting Government Response
Start date 15 July 2015
Last updated 12 May 2016
In 2001 the Law Commission published a report examining the legal defences available to protect those who commit criminal offences as a reaction to domestic violence: “Some Criminal defences with Particular Reference to Battered Defendants”...
Project status: Awaiting Government Response
Start date 01 December 2014
Last updated 14 December 2015
This project reviews the laws that determine how security sensitive information should be dealt with in court proceedings. The review looks at how to protect information that may prejudice New Zealand’s security. It also considers whether the...