This independent unit within the Commission drafted a comprehensive package of sentencing and parole guidelines for consideration by the Sentencing Council when it was established in 2008.
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
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Areas of law
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In 1997, the Law Commission was approached by the Securities Commission and invited to consider the law relating to retirement villages, as part of a wider project relating to the marketing of undivided interests in land, which would have the...
The Statutes Drafting and Compilation Act 1920 was identified by the Commission as being in need of review as part of its wider assessment of New Zealand Statute Law. A Report was released in 2009.
Part 8 of the Crimes Act 1961 deals with crimes against the person. The project reviewed the adequacy and coherence of the current offence provisions, considered whether there were any gaps in them and revised maximum penalty levels. The project...
Advice provided by the Law Commission to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee on Sue Bradford's Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill.
The purpose of this project is to consider: whether there is a need for clarifying or extending the power of the Family Court to require a person to whom Part I of the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 applies to live in...
This project originally commenced in 1994 at the suggestion of the Honourable Justice Durie, who at that time was Chief Judge of the Mäori Land Court. Justice Durie was of the view that some knowledge of Mäori custom would greatly assist judges...
This project sought to address issues in the Matrimonial Property Bill and the De Facto Relationships (Property) Bill introduced on 24 March 1998. The key issues were a) there were marked differences between the rights under the two bills of de...
The purpose of this project was to examine and review the Limitation Act, which lays down rules for determining the cut-off dates after which it is too late for an intending plaintiff to bring a civil claim. When the Government indicated it...
The purpose of this project is to consider and report on the law affecting Maori fisheries.