On 27 February 2018 the Minister of Justice wrote to the Law Commission noting the Government was considering how best to ensure New Zealand’s abortion laws are consistent with treating abortion as a health issue.
The Minister asked 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
- (-) Remove Other filter Other
- (-) Remove Evidence filter Evidence
- (-) Remove Customary and Treaty Settlements Law filter Customary and Treaty Settlements Law
- Public (46) Apply Public filter
- Courts and Dispute Resolution (39) Apply Courts and Dispute Resolution filter
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Project status: Closed
Start date 27 February 2018
Last updated 30 August 2019
Project status: Closed
Start date 20 February 2017
Last updated 03 September 2019
For nearly 30 years the Law Commission has been engaged in reforming the law of evidence in New Zealand.
In August 1989 the Minister of Justice asked the Commission to review all evidence law to make it as clear, simple and accessible as...
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 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...
Project status: Closed
Start date 12 July 2013
Last updated 21 July 2015
The Law Commission was asked by the Minister for Courts to undertake a first principles review of the statutory rules governing the media’s reporting of individual suicide deaths. In particular, it was asked to consider whether the current...
Project status: Closed
Start date 28 February 2012
Last updated 22 February 2017
Section 202(1) of the Evidence Act required the Commission to report to the Minister of Justice on the following matters:
(a) the operation of the provisions of the Act since its commencement;
(b) whether those provisions should be...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 July 2010
Last updated 28 September 2016
On this project, the Law Commission undertook a first principles review of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964. The Act’s primary purpose is to ensure provision is made for the burial of the dead in a controlled and respectful manner which meets...
Project status: Closed
Start date 06 August 2008
Last updated 11 May 2015
More than 20 years have passed since the framework for the sale of liquor laws was established by the 1986 Working Party on Liquor. The resulting Sale of Liquor Act 1989 has been amended many times over the years, and its overall coherence has...
Project status: Closed
Start date 17 October 2007
Last updated 11 May 2015
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.
Project status: Closed
Start date 12 October 2007
Last updated 11 May 2015
This Act has not been reviewed for many years and is out of date in a number of respects. The Act covers a range of interests, including remuneration of the Governor-General, Ministers and Members of Parliament, which make independent review...