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...
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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Project status: Closed
Start date 01 July 2009
Last updated 15 June 2016
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 Many of the sections in the Act are outdated, and it contains “hidden” commercial law and judicial review provisions.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...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 April 2007
Last updated 11 May 2015
For this project, the Commission reviews existing rules of evidence around admissibility of previous convictions, similar offending and bad character. In particular, the extent to which the court is made aware of prior convictions of an accused,...
Project status: Closed
Start date 13 May 2004
Last updated 11 May 2015
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...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 January 1988
Last updated 11 May 2015
This project recommends a new legislative framework for both domestic and international arbitration in New Zealand, a framework largely based on the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration produced by the United Nations Commission on...
Project status: Closed
Start date 03 March 1998
Last updated 11 May 2015
This purpose of this project is to advise whether compensation should be paid to those who have been wrongly prosecuted or convicted of an offence, and if so, to recommend a systematic basis upon which compensation may be determined and paid.
Project status: Closed
Start date 13 June 1997
Last updated 11 May 2015
The purpose of the Evidence Law projects is to to make the law of evidence as clear, simple and accessible as practicable, and to facilitate the fair, just and speedy judicial resolution of disputes. In particular, this project examines the...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 July 1996
Last updated 11 May 2015
The topic of this project has two related issues, each of fundamental importance to New Zealanders. One is whether New Zealand women are treated properly by the legal system. That raises in turn a second issue – whether the New Zealand citizen...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 December 1987
Last updated 11 May 2015
This project reviews the structure of the judicial system of New Zealand, including the composition, jurisdiction and operation of the various courts, having regard among other matters to any changes in law and practice consequent upon the...
Project status: Closed
Start date 01 August 1997
Last updated 11 May 2015
This project is part of the continuing reference to the Commission to review the law, structure and practices governing procedure in criminal cases. This project examines and reviews the Costs In Criminal Cases Act 1967. The main point to be...