This project proposes a draft Property Law Act to replace the Property Law Act 1952. One of the most important objectives of the new Act is to set forth rules of property law accessibly and in a manner which, allowing for the subject matter, can...
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 Courts and Dispute Resolution filter Courts and Dispute Resolution
- (-) Remove Civil filter Civil
- (-) Remove Evidence filter Evidence
- (-) Remove Customary and Treaty Settlements Law filter Customary and Treaty Settlements Law
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- Property/Trusts (15) Apply Property/Trusts filter
- International Law (8) Apply International Law filter
- Consumer (5) Apply Consumer filter
The purpose of this project is to give fuller effect to the principle that the State is under the law and to ensure that as far as practicable legal procedures relating to and remedies against the Crown (as representing the State) are the same as...
This project reviews the law of succession. This is the law which governs how a person's property is to be dealt with when they die.
This is the Commission's second report directly on matters pertaining to New Zealand's international obligations. The purpose of the project is assist members of Parliament and public with both broad background information and focused direction...
The topic of this project has two related issues, each of fundamental importance to New Zealanders. One is whether New Zealand women are treated properly by the legal system. That raises in turn a second issue – whether the New Zealand citizen...
The purpose of the Evidence Law projects is to to make the law of evidence as clear, simple and accessible as practicable, and to facilitate the fair, just and speedy judicial resolution of disputes. In particular, this project examines the...
This project is part of the continuing reference to the Commission to review the law, structure and practices governing procedure in criminal cases. This project examines and reviews the Costs In Criminal Cases Act 1967. The main point to be...
This project raises a question about a discrete aspect of the law of contract: whether or not to repeal the rules in the Contracts Enforcement Act 1956 that to be enforceable land contracts and guarantees must be in writing that is signed by the...
This project examines the response of the legal system to the experiences of women in New Zealand, recognising the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi in the examination of Maori women's experiences.
This purpose of this project is to advise whether compensation should be paid to those who have been wrongly prosecuted or convicted of an offence, and if so, to recommend a systematic basis upon which compensation may be determined and paid.