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Law Commission
Reviewing, reforming and developing New Zealand's laws
The Law Commission reviews, reforms and develops New Zealand law. We then make recommendations to Government to improve the law.
We also advise our Responsible Minister and government agencies on how to make the law more accessible and easier to understand.
The Commission has a commitment to consult the public on areas of law that we review. We promote discussion and consultation by publishing Issues Papers. We invite submissions from the public before we make recommendations to the Minister.
We publish these recommendations in a report to Parliament. The government then decides whether and how it will amend the law.
Law Commission - Latest News [Page 1]
Honouring Sir Kenneth’s Legacy Of Law Reform
Thursday, 14 May 2026, 12:45 pm | Law Commission
The Commission farewells a giant in the law and in law reform. Lady Jocelyn, and their children and extended family, are in our thoughts. More >>
Law Commission Recommends New Legislation To Replace The Protection Of Personal And Property Rights Act 1988
Tuesday, 24 February 2026, 2:42 pm | Law Commission
The Law Commission recommends that a new Act replace the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988, which governs the law for enduring powers of attorney, welfare guardians and property managers. More >>
Law Commission Recommends Human Rights Act Reform
Thursday, 4 September 2025, 12:56 pm | Law Commission
The recommendations are contained in its Final Report “la Tangata: Protections in the Human Rights Act 1993 for people who are transgender, people who are non-binary and people with innate variations in sex characteristics”, which has now been published. More >>
Review Of Company Directors’ Duties And Liabilities Underway
Thursday, 21 August 2025, 12:09 pm | Law Commission
Geof Shirtcliffe, the Commissioner leading the project, said this is the first time directors’ duties have been comprehensively reviewed since the Companies Act was enacted in 1993. More >>
Law Commission Recommends New Legislation For Managing High-Risk Offenders
Friday, 4 April 2025, 12:59 pm | Law Commission
The Commission makes 149 reform recommendations to the Government. They include a new Act to replace the current law governing preventive detention, extended supervision orders and public protection orders. More >>
Law Commission Seeks Views On Hate Crime Law
Tuesday, 4 February 2025, 2:26 pm | Law Commission
The Law Commission was asked to review the law on hate crime by the Minister of Justice in March 2024. This followed a recommendation by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019, which proposed ... More >>
Law Commission Publishes Terms Of Reference For Review Of Hate Crime Laws
Monday, 30 September 2024, 4:12 pm | Law Commission
Currently, the law in Aotearoa New Zealand responds to hate crimes at sentencing. If a person commits a crime because of hostility toward a group of people who share an “enduring common characteristic”, the court must consider this as an aggravating ... More >>
Law Commission Seeks Views On Reforming The Law To Manage High-risk Offenders
Thursday, 25 July 2024, 11:15 am | Law Commission
It proposes that the current law governing preventive detention, extended supervision orders and public protection orders be repealed and replaced with a single new Act. More >>
Law Commission To Undertake Project On Directors’ Duties
Tuesday, 4 June 2024, 2:15 pm | Law Commission
Duties in the Companies Act relating to reckless trading and incurring obligations are particularly unclear and difficult to apply as they are currently framed and may discourage directors from taking legitimate business risks. More >>
Law Commission Starts Second Round Of Consultation On Review Of Adult Decision-making Capacity Law
Friday, 19 April 2024, 3:54 pm | Law Commission
Traumatic brain injury, dementia, learning disabilities and experiences of mental distress can affect a person’s decision-making. The Government has asked for a review on how the law should respond when an adult’s decision-making is affected. More >>
Law Commission Recommends changes To Evidence Law
Friday, 22 March 2024, 12:01 pm | Law Commission
Changes to the Evidence Act 2006 are needed to promote the just and efficient determination of court proceedings, concludes Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission in its report Te Arotake Tuatoru i te Evidence Act 2006 |The Third Review of the Evidence Act 2006 ... More >>
New Study Provides Invaluable Guidance On Tikanga And The Law
Thursday, 21 September 2023, 12:18 pm | Law Commission
A new study published by Te Aka Matua o te Ture | the Law Commission will provide invaluable guidance to law makers and others interested in the engagement between tikanga and the law. The Study Paper He Poutama (NZLC SP24) was originally requested ... More >>
Law Commission Seeks Feedback On High-risk Offender Restrictions
Wednesday, 31 May 2023, 11:32 am | Law Commission
Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is considering whether reform is needed to the laws that keep the community safe from people at high risk of serious sexual and violent offending. The Commission has today published an Issues Paper for public ... More >>
Law Commission Seeks Submissions On The Operation Of The Evidence Act
Monday, 8 May 2023, 11:34 am | Law Commission
Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission has today published an Issues Paper inviting public submissions on how the Evidence Act 2006 is operating in practice. The Commission is undertaking its third and final statutory review of the operation of the Act. ... More >>
Law Commission Starts Consultation In Review Of Adult Decision-making Capacity Law
Monday, 28 November 2022, 2:31 pm | Law Commission
Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission has today published a Preliminary issues Paper, as part of its review into how the law should respond when an adult’s decision-making is affected. Kaikōmihana | Commissioner, Geof Shirtcliffe, explains: “There are ... More >>
Confirmation Of 2022-2023 Work Programme
Saturday, 19 November 2022, 1:18 pm | Law Commission
On Friday 18 November, the Minister responsible for Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission, Hon Kiritapu Allan, referred to the Commission the following issues: Legal responses to hate-motivated offending; Legal responses to speech that expresses ... More >>
Law Commission Publishes Study Paper On The Legal Framework For Emergencies
Friday, 11 November 2022, 11:07 am | Law Commission
This may be the best time to review Aotearoa New Zealand’s legal framework for emergencies, concludes a Study Paper written for Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission by Auckland University public law professor Janet McLean KC and published ... More >>
Law Commission publishes report on class actions and litigation funding
Monday, 27 June 2022, 1:15 pm | Law Commission
A new Class Actions Act should be developed to improve access to justice and efficiency in litigation, concludes Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission in its report, Ko ngā Hunga Take Whaipānga me ngā Pūtea Tautiringa | Class Actions and Litigation ... More >>
Law Commission Recommends New Surrogacy Law
Friday, 27 May 2022, 12:47 pm | Law Commission
Surrogacy law is out of date and requires reform, concludes Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission in its report, Te Kōpū Whāngai: He Arotake | Review of Surrogacy , presented to Parliament today. The report acknowledges a pressing need to change ... More >>
Law Commission Recommends New Law About Who Inherits Property When Someone Dies
Wednesday, 15 December 2021, 2:07 pm | Law Commission
Succession law, the law about who inherits a person’s property when they die, needs reform, concludes Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission in its report He arotake I te āheinga ki ngā rawa a te tangata ka mate ana | Review of succession ... More >>
