On 28 June 2019 the Law Commission completed its review of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 and submitted its Report to the Minister responsible for the Law Commission. The Report was tabled in Parliament on 23 July 2019.
The...
Our publications
The Law Commission publishes many different publications. Each type, such as reports, issues papers, and ministerial briefings, has its own series.
Each series has its own purpose. For example, issues papers identify law reform issues and call for submissions from the public. Reports are the final result of a project and contain recommendations for law reform. Use the search filters below to find particular publications.
Publication type
- Report (124) Apply Report filter
- Preliminary Paper (56) Apply Preliminary Paper filter
- Issues Paper (48) Apply Issues Paper filter
- Study Paper (23) Apply Study Paper filter
- Miscellaneous Paper (17) Apply Miscellaneous Paper filter
- Occasional Paper (5) Apply Occasional Paper filter
- Ministerial Briefing (4) Apply Ministerial Briefing filter
- Preferred Approach Paper (1) Apply Preferred Approach Paper filter
Areas of law
Report 143
23 July 2019
Report 142
13 March 2019
The Law Commission has completed its second five-yearly review of the Evidence Act 2006, as required by section 202 of the Act. The review was referred to us by the Minister of Justice on 28 February 2017 and we formally reported to the Minister...
Issues Paper 43
17 December 2018
The Law Commission has published an Issues Paper reviewing the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995 (CIBS Act) and the use of DNA in criminal investigations. In conducting the review we held frequent meetings with New...
Preferred Approach Paper 44
1 November 2018
In this Preferred Approach Paper, we concluded that reform is required to ensure that the law meets most New Zealanders' expectations of fairness when a relationship ends. We presented a package of key reforms that we proposed to recommend to the...
Ministerial Briefing 4
26 October 2018
This ministerial briefing paper provides advice to the Minister of Justice on alternative approaches that could be taken in New Zealand’s abortion laws if the Government decides to treat abortion as a health issue. It describes three...
Issues Paper 42
28 March 2018
In the second review of the Act, like the previous one, the Commission asked whether the Evidence Act 2016 was operating effectively and as intended.
Under section 202 of the Act, the Commission was required to consider whether the Act’s...
Report 141
30 January 2018
This Report is the product of a unique joint review of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 (the Act) conducted by the Law Commission and the Ministry of Justice. As required by the Act, it has been completed within one year of receiving the...
Issues Paper 41
16 October 2017
In this Issues Paper, the Commission asked whether the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (PRA) was still achieving a just division of property at the end of a relationship 40 years after the PRA was passed.
The Issues Paper was divided...
Study Paper 22
16 October 2017
The Law Commission published this Study Paper alongside our Issues Paper, Dividing Relationship Property – Time for Change? Te mātatoha rawa tokorau – Kua eke te wā?...
Report 140
21 June 2017
The Law Commission has finished its review into the laws of contempt of court.
In its Report Reforming the Law of Contempt of Court: A Modern Statute - Ko te Whakahou i te Ture mō Te Whawhati Tikanga ki te Kōti: He Ture Ao Hou...