In 2001 the Law Commission published a report examining the legal defences available to protect those who commit criminal offences as a reaction to domestic violence: “Some Criminal defences with Particular Reference to Battered Defendants”...
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
- (-) Remove Reviewing submissions filter Reviewing submissions
- Discontinued (1) Apply Discontinued filter
- (-) Remove Awaiting Government Response filter Awaiting Government Response
- (-) Remove Researching issues filter Researching issues
- (-) Remove Open filter Open
- Closed (99) Apply Closed filter
Areas of law
- (-) Remove Criminal filter Criminal
- (-) Remove Other filter Other
- (-) Remove Courts and Dispute Resolution filter Courts and Dispute Resolution
- (-) Remove Property/Trusts filter Property/Trusts
- (-) Remove Customary and Treaty Settlements Law filter Customary and Treaty Settlements Law
- Human Rights (5) Apply Human Rights filter
- Civil (3) Apply Civil filter
- Evidence (3) Apply Evidence filter
- Family (3) Apply Family filter
- International Law (3) Apply International Law filter
- Public (3) Apply Public filter
- Commercial (1) Apply Commercial filter
- Social (1) Apply Social filter
Project status: Awaiting Government Response
Start date 15 July 2015
Last updated 12 May 2016
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 20 October 2021
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: Researching issues
Start date 12 October 2021
Last updated 02 June 2022
Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission will produce a detailed study paper that examines tikanga Māori and its place in Aotearoa New Zealand’s legal landscape.
Tikanga Māori has been steadily gaining recognition in the courts and in...
Project status: Researching issues
Start date 06 October 2021
Last updated 29 June 2022
Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission (the Commission) will undertake a review of the law relating to adult decision-making capacity.
...
Project status: Researching issues
Start date 01 July 2022
Last updated 01 July 2022
The current law
Aotearoa New Zealand has laws aimed at protecting the public from reoffending risks posed by some offenders convicted of serious crimes. These laws enable the detention or supervision of those offenders...