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
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- (-) Remove Discontinued filter Discontinued
- Researching issues (1) Apply Researching issues filter
- Preparing report (2) Apply Preparing report filter
- (-) Remove Awaiting Government Response filter Awaiting Government Response
- Open (8) Apply Open filter
- Closed (109) Apply Closed filter
Areas of law
- (-) Remove Public filter Public
- (-) Remove Civil filter Civil
- (-) Remove Courts and Dispute Resolution filter Courts and Dispute Resolution
- (-) Remove Evidence filter Evidence
- (-) Remove Family filter Family
- (-) Remove Human Rights filter Human Rights
- Criminal (3) Apply Criminal filter
- International Law (1) Apply International Law filter
- Property/Trusts (1) Apply Property/Trusts 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: Discontinued
Start date 27 July 2016
Last updated 06 April 2021
The declaratory judgment is an important judicial remedy. It provides an efficient and effective means by which parties can clarify and establish their legal rights and obligations, without the need for further remedies. There is, however,...
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: Awaiting Government Response
Start date 18 December 2019
Last updated 15 December 2021
The Law Commission will review the law of succession. The law of succession is the system of rules that governs who gets a person’s property when they die.
In July 2019 the Minister Responsible for the Law Commission requested that the...