For this project, the Commission reviews the Trustee Act 1956 and trust law generally. In the first stage of this review, the Report, Review of the Law of Trusts: A Trusts Act for New Zealand (R130) is preceded by six Issues Papers. The...
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
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Project status: Closed
Start date 01 July 2007
Last updated 11 May 2015
The Law Commission, in conjunction with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), reviewed the Land Transfer Act 1952 and amendment Acts. An Issues Paper (IP10) was published in October 2008. The aim of the review was to modernise and streamline the...
Project status: Closed
Start date 12 October 2006
Last updated 20 September 2021
This project involves four stages, with publications at each stage.
Stage 1: Policy Overview was a high-level analysis to assess privacy values, changes in technology, international trends, and their implications for New Zealand law. It...
Project status: Closed
Start date 10 December 2003
Last updated 11 May 2015
Covert filming of people in intimate situations raises a number of specific privacy issues. As a modern form of voyeurism it also has a sexual dimension. The issue intersects with a number of areas of law, including privacy and censorship as well...
Project status: Closed
Start date 13 September 2001
Last updated 11 May 2015
This project discusses nine current trust law problems and makes recommendations thereon. One proposal is to authorise trustees to delegate to agents their powers to administer the trust, including powers of investment and management, but...
Project status: Closed
Start date 24 August 2001
Last updated 11 May 2015
This project examines the law of general discovery. The essential issue is on whether and how the virtues of the existing rules as to general discovery could be preserved while at the same time eliminating waste and extravagance from the process...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 August 2000
Last updated 11 May 2015
In August 2000, we were asked, as part of the insolvency law review, to provide further advisory reports to the Ministry of Economic Development. The topics which we were asked to consider were:
(a) the role of the State in insolvency law...
Project status: Closed
Start date 11 October 1999
Last updated 11 May 2015
The purpose of this project to consider whether Part II of the Wages Protection and Contractors Liens Act 1939 should be re-enacted in some modified form.
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 July 1999
Last updated 11 May 2015
The purpose of this project is to provide advice on whether existing classes of preferred creditors should continue to enjoy advantages over unsecured creditors when bankruptcy or liquidation intervened. The request for advice was made in the...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 July 1999
Last updated 11 May 2015
The purpose of this project is to review the legal framework for adoption in New Zealand as set out in the Adoption Act 1955 and the Adult Adoption Information Act 1985, and to recommend whether and how the framework should be modified to better...