Te Aka Matua o te Ture

Kei te tūrama arotahi

In the spotlight

Law Commission publishes Terms of Reference in Hara Ngākau Kino | Hate Crime

We have published the Terms of Reference that will guide our review of the law relating to hate crime: He Arotake i ngā Hara Ngākau Kino.

Please click here to access translated and accessible versions of the Terms of Reference and sign-up for updates.

Related project

Hate crime

Ngā mahi o te wā

Current work

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission has been asked to review the law relating to hate crime. The review will focus on whether the law should be changed to create standalone hate crime offences as recommended in recommendation 39 of the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019.

Visit project

Ia Tangata

A review of the protections in the Human Rights Act 1993 for people who are transgender, people who are non-binary and people with innate variations of sex characteristics

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is examining the protections in the Human Rights Act 1993 for people who are transgender, people who are non-binary and people with innate variations of sex characteristics.

Visit project

He arotake i te ture mō ngā huarahi whakatau a ngā pakeke

Review of adult decision-making capacity law

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is reviewing how the law should respond when an adult’s decision-making is affected.

Visit project

Hapori whānui me te tangata mōrea nui: He arotake o te mauhere ārai hē me ngā ōta nō muri whakawhiu

Public safety and serious offenders: A review of preventive detention and post-sentence orders

We are reviewing the laws protecting the public from offenders who pose significant risks through preventive detention, extended supervision orders and public protection orders.

Visit project

See all projects

Tō mātou kawenga i te whanaketanga o te ture

Our role in the development of the law

Initiation

Our law reform reviews are referred to us by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission, who is currently the Minister of Justice.

How our work programme is set

Research

Throughout a law reform review, we conduct extensive research into the area of law in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

How we do our work

Engagement

During a law reform review, we talk to a wide range of people to gain the fullest understanding of the issues and ideas for change. We do this through direct consultation and by inviting the public to tell us their views by making a submission.

Have your say

Recommendations

Our research and engagement inform the recommendations we make to improve the law. At the end of a law reform review, we present our recommendations to the Minister in a final report. The Minister presents the report to Parliament.

Our reports

Government response

The Government decides whether to implement our recommendations to reform the law and usually issues a formal response, which we publish on our website.

What happens to our work

Implementation

The government department responsible for the area of law leads the work to implement the recommendations the Government has accepted. This may include new or amended legislation or changes in operational policy or procedure.

Implementations of our work

Advice

We also advise our responsible Minister on areas of law for possible future review and reform. To do this, we monitor developments in the law and invite suggestions on areas for reform from the public.

Suggest an area of law for review

Improving the law since 1987

We have undertaken over 150 law reform projects on a broad range of topics, all aimed at improving the law of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our projects

Our work has impact

Most of our reports are implemented either in whole or substantial part. Our publications are cited in parliament, the courts, the news and legal writing, sometimes decades after they are published.

Our publications