Law Commission - Te Aka Matua o te Ture

01/04/2026

We’re hiring: Senior Legal and Policy Adviser / Principal Legal and Policy Adviser

We are seeking an experienced legal professional to join us at Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission as a Senior Legal and Policy Adviser or Principal Legal and Policy Adviser. The role offers the opportunity to play a significant role in high quality, influential, independent law reform. You will utilise your strong legal research and writing skills to undertake detailed, rigorous legal and policy analysis. You will ensure projects are well-planned and managed, engage with a wide range of stakeholders, and help develop well reasoned options for reform. You will also help to ensure the Law Commission’s recommendations, take account of te ao Māori (including tikanga and te Tiriti o Waitangi | Treaty of Waitangi), give consideration to the multicultural character of society in Aotearoa New Zealand and seek to improve the accessibility of law.

For further information about the role and how to apply, click here:

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is an independent Crown entity that undertakes law reform projects and provides advice to Ministers and public sector agencies.

23/02/2026

Today, we have published our Final Report “He Arotake i te Ture mō ngā Huarahi Whakatau a ngā Pakeke | Review of Adult Decision-making Capacity Law”. The Report sets out our recommendations on how the Government should reform the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988. You can read the Report on our website https://www.lawcom.govt.nz/our-work/review-of-adult-decision-making-capacity-law/tab/report.
We will publish an overview of key features of our recommendations in accessible formats. These will be on our website once they are available.

03/09/2025

Law Commission - Te Aka Matua o te Ture ’s ‘Here Ora’ presents solutions to one of New Zealand’s most challenging legal issues: protecting the community from high-risk criminal offenders.

The review needed to balance two significant interests – the safety of the community and the rights of people who have already served a sentence for their offending. It makes 149 recommendations for a new statutory regime focused on rehabilitation and reintegration.

Central to the recommendations is the idea that all New Zealanders will benefit from law that better facilitates the restoration of high-risk people to safe and unrestricted life in the community.

It presents a compelling vision for a more humane regime which is more effective at achieving community safety.

Congratulations to the team behind Here Ora who are finalists of Te Tohu mō te Hiranga o te Mahi Kaupapa Here | Excellence in Public Policy Award at this year's Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards 👏

Read more about the Excellence in Public Policy Award finalists here: https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/news/creating-solutions-through-innovative-public-policy?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_ebkqe5rdff

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Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors ANZSOG, DXC Technology, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, Westpac NZ, and Deloitte.

21/08/2025

The Law Commission’s review of company directors’ duties and liabilities is well underway with terms of reference now set. The review focuses on directors’ core duties under the Companies Act 1993. The Commission is also considering whether other legislation can assign duties and liabilities on directors in a more consistent and principled manner. Public consultation is scheduled for 2026 and completion of a Final Report in 2027. For more information, see the Commission's website:

Directors of a company are responsible for its management or supervising its management. They are subject to a range of statutory duties which, if breached, can result in personal liability. 

04/04/2025

Today, we have published our Final Report “Here ora: Preventive measures in a reformed law”. The Report sets out our recommendations on how the Government should reform the current law on preventive detention and post-sentence orders. You can read the Report on our website

https://www.lawcom.govt.nz/our-work/public-safety-and-serious-offenders-a-review-of-preventive-detention-and-post-sentence-orders/report

04/02/2025

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission has published a Consultation Paper looking at whether the law on hate crime in Aotearoa New Zealand should be changed. It is seeking public feedback on the current law and options for reform.

More information is available on the Law Commission’s website, including the full Consultation Paper, a summary document and an online submission form. The summary document is available in a range of languages and accessible formats.
Submissions are due by 13 March 2025.

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is reviewing the law relating to hate crime. The review is considering whether there are problems with the current law and, if so, how to make the law better. This could include creating new hate crime offences, as was recommended by the Royal Commission of In...

30/09/2024

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

Please visit our webpage to find out more about the review, access translated and accessible versions of the Terms of Reference, and sign-up for updates.

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...

02/09/2024

There are only a few weeks to go until the deadline for submissions on the Law Commission’s proposals on reform of the law governing preventive detention, extended supervision orders and public protection orders. We want to hear your views. Find out more here before consultation closes on Friday 20 September.

Aotearoa New Zealand has laws aimed at protecting the public from reoffending risks posed by some offenders convicted of serious crimes. These laws enable the detention or supervision of those offenders beyond a fixed-term prison sentence (determinate sentence). For the court to order detention or s...

24/07/2024

We want to hear your views on the law governing preventive detention and post-sentence supervision or detention. Today we have published our Preferred Approach Paper, which sets out our proposals for reform. Consultation is open until 20 September 2024. Find out more and how to respond on our website.

Aotearoa New Zealand has laws aimed at protecting the public from reoffending risks posed by some offenders convicted of serious crimes. These laws enable the detention or supervision of those offenders beyond a fixed-term prison sentence (determinate sentence). For the court to order detention or s...

10/07/2024

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission has published its Issue Paper in 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 s*x characteristics.

We want to hear your views. To make a submission visit: https://www.lawcom.govt.nz/our-work/ia-tangata/tab/issues-paper

Submissions are due by 5pm, Thursday 5 September 2024.

Home > Our work > 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 s*x characteristics

04/06/2024

The Minister of Justice has asked the Commission to undertake a review of directors’ duties and liabilities.

The Companies Act 1993 was originally informed by two Law Commission reports and Commissioner Geof Shirtcliffe, who will lead the project, has substantial experience in this field of law.

The Companies Act 1993 was originally informed by two Law Commission reports and Kaikōmihana | Commissioner Geof Shirtcliffe, who will lead the project, has substantial experience in this field of law.