We lead and are involved in a wide range of initiatives to reduce crime, keep people safe and modernise the justice system.

  • Adoption Law Reform

    Aotearoa New Zealand's adoption laws are being reviewed to reflect contemporary adoption processes and promote consistency with principles in child-centred legislation.

  • Proposals against incitement of hatred and discrimination

    The Government is considering proposals against the incitement of hatred and discrimination and wants to hear the public’s views.

  • Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court

    The AODT Court aims to deliver better outcomes and experiences for court participants with alcohol and other drug substance use disorders, victims, whānau and the wider community.

  • Addressing family violence and sexual violence

    We're part of a cross-government work programme related to family violence and sexual violence that aims to ensure victims are safer, improve services, and change long-standing behaviours and attitudes.

  • Anti-money laundering & countering financing of terrorism

    We lead the development of New Zealand's anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks and we are currently reviewing the Act.

  • Search and Surveillance

    The Government is reviewing the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 which controls how Police and other law enforcement agencies can search people or property and carry out surveillance. There are two key drivers for the review: Recommendation 18 of the Royal Commission’s report following the Christchurch terrorist attack; and the recommendations from a statutory review of the Act that was completed in 2017.

  • Restorative Justice Service Review

    We’re reviewing the Restorative Justice (RJ) service. The review is an information gathering exercise to understand how the service is currently meeting the needs of participants.

  • Family Justice Reform

    The Government is working to ensure that children and families affected by disputes about care arrangements receive appropriate support, representation, and protection. The reforms respond to recommendations made by an independent panel in the 2019 report Te Korowai Ture ā-Whānau, which examined the impact of major changes that were made in 2014.

  • Hāpaitia te Oranga Tangata

    We are working on long term solutions to improve community safety and the way justice works and we want to listen to everyone involved. This is just the beginning and it will take time, but we have to make a start as the system isn’t working.

  • Behavioural Science Aotearoa - Changing behaviour in justice for good

    We work to understand people better so we can make our justice system work for them. We use evidence and research methods from social sciences to ensure policies and processes reflect the way people behave and make decisions.

  • Privacy

    We're progressing reforms to our privacy laws to protect people’s personal information, and help ensure businesses and organisations that hold such data safeguard and handle it appropriately. 

  • Trust law reform

    The Government is moving to update and improve the law governing trusts for the first time in nearly 60 years.

  • Sale & supply of alcohol

    Legislation regulating the sale and supply of alcohol is administered by us and we provide advice to the Government on policy relating to alcohol-related offending and crime prevention.

  • Cross-government initiatives

    Find out about some of the plans and programmes involving multiple government agencies that we play a role in.

  • Crimes Amendment Act

    Parliament is currently considering The Crimes Amendment Bill which will update the Crimes Act by repealing three obsolete provisions which do not reflect how the criminal law is operating in today's New Zealand.

  • Criminal Cases Review Commission

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission Act redefines the way possible miscarriages of justice are identified.

  • Māori Electoral Option

    The Government is considering whether the timing and frequency of the Māori Electoral Option should be changed.

  • Wayfinding for Civil Justice

    Planning a better way of working together to improve access to civil justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • Mana Ōrite agreement

    A Mana Ōrite relationship agreement was signed in April 2021 between the Ināia Tonu Nei kaitiaki and justice sector chief executives.

  • CERD Report public consultation

    The New Zealand Government is due to submit a Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the CERD Committee). We invite your feedback on New Zealand’s draft Twenty-Third and Twenty-Fourth Report to the CERD Committee.

  • Justice Sector Long-term Insights Briefing

    Long-term Insights Briefings are a new government initiative requiring agencies to develop and share insights on the trends, risks and opportunities that affect, or may affect, Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to hear what New Zealanders think of the proposed topic for the first Justice Sector Briefing.

  • Repeal of the three strikes law

    The Government is moving to repeal the mandatory sentencing regime commonly known as the three strikes law.

  • Intelligence and Security Act Review

    We’re supporting the statutory review of the Intelligence and Security Act led by Sir Terence Arnold KNZM and Matanuku Mahuika.

  • National Action Plan Against Racism

    We are leading the creation of New Zealand’s first ever national action plan against racism. This is happening with the National Iwi Chairs Forum. Engagement with communities is the first step to developing the plan.

  • Te Ao Mārama

    Te Ao Mārama is a judicially led kaupapa that will improve the experience for all people who participate in the court system, including victims and whānau. By partnering with iwi and engaging with communities, Te Ao Mārama will be designed to best serve each community’s specific needs.

This page was last updated:

 
Share