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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.

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Contempt of Court

Project status: Closed Start date 11 April 2013 Last updated 17 August 2017

The objective of the law of contempt of court is to protect the integrity of the justice system and a defendant’s right to a fair trial. However, the law is vague in scope, uses outdated language and concepts, and is inaccessible to the New...

First Review of the Evidence Act 2006

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...

Extradition and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters

Project status: Closed Start date 01 November 2013 Last updated 28 September 2016

This review covers the Extradition Act 1999 and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1992. These Acts provide a framework for formal assistance between New Zealand and foreign governments in the investigation and prosecution of crime. They...

Crown Proceedings Act 1950

Project status: Closed Start date 01 July 2011 Last updated 28 September 2016

The ability of citizens to bring civil legal proceedings against the Crown and its servants is an important part of New Zealand’s constitution, and is protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.  The Crown Proceedings Act 1950 is the...

Burial and Cremation Law

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...

Alternative Models for Prosecuting and Trying Criminal Cases

Project status: Closed Start date 01 July 2009 Last updated 15 June 2016

This project arose from the Commission’s recommendation in their Report, Disclosure to Court of Defendants’ Previous Convictions, Similar Offending, and Bad Character (R103, 2008). The Commission recommended that Government should...

Law Relating to Civil Penalties

Project status: Closed Start date 01 June 2010 Last updated 07 October 2015

In 2011, the Law Commission was asked to review the use of pecuniary penalties as a regulatory tool. These are financial penalties that policymakers are increasingly opting to use in place of criminal sanctions, to punish and deter misconduct in...

Cross-Border Insolvency

Project status: Closed Start date 06 May 1998 Last updated 21 August 2015

In October 1997 the Law Commission started a new project on the subject of international trade with the project’s first report, Electronic Commerce Part One: A Guide for the Legal and Business Community (NZLC R50) released a year later. This is...

Judicature Act 1908 and Consolidation of Courts Legislation

Project status: Closed Start date 01 July 2010 Last updated 29 May 2015

The Judicature Act 1908 is over one hundred years old and has been amended many times.   Many of the sections in the Act are outdated, and it contains “hidden” commercial law and judicial review provisions.  The focus of the Law Commission’s...

Law of Trusts

Project status: Closed Start date 14 March 2009 Last updated 27 May 2015

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...

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