This project explores the interaction between custom and human rights in the Pacific, including New Zealand, by articulating some of the issues arising from this interaction and how the two can inform each other.
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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This project reviewed the forfeiture provisions under Part XIV of the Customs and Excise Act 1996, having regard to any analogous border control practices in comparable jurisdictions.
This project reviews existing rules providing access to Court records and developing principles to govern access to Court records, the retention and archiving of records. It considers the appropriateness of a single code providing rules for all...
A joint project with the Ministry of Justice describing and evaluating status hearings in the District Court. The study considers the purposes of status hearings, whether there is compliance with those purposes, whether there should be statutory...
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 considers what changes, if any, are necessary and desirable in the administration, management and procedure of the Family Court in order to facilitate the early resolution of disputes. The Commission was requested to consider:...
The Law Commission Report Search and Surveillance Powers was tabled in Parliament in August 2007. Subsequently, the Commission worked with agencies across government to develop legislation to implement the Report and the Search and Surveillance...
The purpose of this project is to undertake a review of the structure and operation of all state-based adjudicative bodies in New Zealand, including all courts and tribunals except the top tier of the appellate system.
In NZLC R73 : Some Criminal Defences with Particular Reference to Battered Defendants we stated that we would issue a supplementary report on the onus and standard of proof as to disputed facts on sentence; in particular, as these might relate to...
The purpose of this project to devise a solution to an untidiness in judicial review procedure. The mischief is that there are decisions (exercises of the prerogative for example) which may be subjected to judicial review, but to which the...