Legislation and official information
NZNO members sometimes request copies of legislation (Acts, Bills or Regulations) from the library. As with most Libraries, it is not our policy to loan such material. It is considered reference material and may be accessed in the library, but not removed from the library.
Acts and Legislation
Acts (sometimes called Statutes) are laws made by Parliament.
Bills are proposed Acts.
Regulations are the laws made under Acts.
New Zealand Legislation
The New Zealand Legislation website, launched early 2008, contains New Zealand Acts, Bills, and Regulations. You can read and download any of these free of charge.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz
Hard Copies
If a hard copy of an Act is required for a workplace then Bennetts bookshop is the place to order it. Whitcoulls will handle orders for government legislation in areas where there are no Bennetts.
https://www.bennetts.co.nz/legislation.htm
Bills before Parliament
Material presently under consideration by Parliament is found on the Parliamentary website. There you will find a list of bills before the House and its committees and access to more detailed information about each one:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Legislation/Bills
Government Departments
Often copies of Acts can be found on the appropriate Government department website along with other helpful information like fact sheets and guides.
For example, Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) information can be found on the OSH section of the Department of Labour's (DOL) website.
A good place to start accessing New Zealand Government department information is through the New Zealand Government online site:
http://newzealand.govt.nz/
From there select Government Services to search by topic area or A-Z of Government to search an alphabetical list.
Contacting a Cabinet Minister
Information on Ministers, their contact details and portfolios:
http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/cabinet/ministers/ministerial-list.html
No postage stamp is needed when you are writing as an individual to a member of Parliament or a Minister. Postage is required if you are writing on behalf of an organisation. Information about contacting an MP or writing to all MPs can be found on the Parliamentary website:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs/
Making a Submission to Parliament
A booklet is available in English and Te Reo to help those writing a submission to a select committee from the can be found on the Parliamentary website:
http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/en-NZ/PubRes/About/Procedures/b/4/f/b4ff6c34d81b4c318f7ff4b7015f3a5b.htm
Bills Digests and Research Papers
Research publications (research papers, Bills Digests, and electorate profiles) produced by the Parliamentary Library are available from the Parliamentary website:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PubRes/Research
Research papers cover a variety of topical subjects of relevance to Parliament.
A Bills Digest is a guide written to assist members of Parliament when they consider a bill. These provide apolitical, concise summary and analysis of bills and issues of concern to Parliament.
Select Committee Reports
You can search select committee reports presented to the House on the Parliamentary website:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/SC/Reports/
Parliamentary Counsel Office
The Parliamentary Counsel Office is responsible for drafting and publishing most NZ legislation. It makes some things available through its website at:
http://www.pco.parliament.govt.nz/
Department of Labour
The Department of Labour helps New Zealanders achieve high-quality working lives in thriving and inclusive communities through information, services and support for workplaces and communities.
http://www.dol.govt.nz/
Within the DOL site are two others that assist with employment related issues:
Employment Relations
As part of the Department of Labour, the Employment Relations website offers information on various aspects of employment – contracts, holidays, leave entitlements etc:
http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz/
Occupational Safety and Health Service
The Department of Labour provides best practice information and guidance to assist New Zealand businesses with health and safety in the workplace: http://www.osh.govt.nz/index.htm
Accessing New Zealand Case Law/Judgements
There are a large number of judgements freely available on the web (refer weblinks below).
- Employment Cases Summary [New Zealand]
The Employment Cases Summary provides an indexed list of legal cases involving employment matters, headnotes, and a monthly editorial. Previously, the Employment Cases Summary was only available via paid subscription, but now it is freely accessible for download in PDF format.
http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz/publications/ecs.html
- Employment Relations Authority Determinations
These can be ordered via the ERS website and are emailed through to you, at no charge
http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz/law/case/order.asp
- Auckland District Law Society – Case Law
www.adls.org.nz/information-for-public/legal-links/new-zealand/caselaw
- Judicial Decisions Online Introduction
http://jdo.justice.govt.nz/jdo/Introduction.jsp
Judicial Decisions Online providespublished judgments and decisions of New Zealand Courts and Tribunals. Decisions are published following delivery to the parties, but not earlier than three days after the decisions are given.
Judicial decisions are currently available on this site for the following jurisdictions:
- Supreme Court - (All)
- Court of Appeal - (Decisions delivered after 1 January 2003)
- High Court - (Decisions delivered after August 2005)
- New Zealand Legal Information Institute
www.nzlii.org/
- Australasian Legal Information Institute
A joint facility of UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law
www.austlii.org/
- New Zealand Case Law
www.austlii.edu.au/databases.html#nz
Other documents of interest
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The treaty (English and Maori versions) can be found on the New Zealand History Online website:
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133
Health Practitioner Competence Assurance Act
Introduced in 2003, this replaces the Nurses Act of 1977. Information about the Act can be found on the Ministry of Health website:
http://www.moh.govt.nz/hpca
A copy of the act can be downloaded from the New Zealand Legislation website:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz
LawAccess Info Sheets
The Legal Services Agency’s LawAccess database offers printable info sheets on a range of laws that cover commonly experienced problems.
http://www.lawaccess.lsa.govt.nz.
Legal Resource for Community Groups
Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture is a free legal resource for community groups.
http://www.keepingitlegal.net.nz.
Compiled September 2002
Updated August 2008
