Listed below are freely available sources to law.
This website provides Acts, Bills, Legislative Instruments, and Supplementary Order Papers, and links to Other Instruments.
Free. Includes legislation as enacted from 1841.
Free. Includes most NZ courts and tribunals: selected content from District, Youth and Family Courts.
For advanced legal research try
Access to legislation, case law and commentary on a wide range of legal topics.
Use broad terms to find texts, e.g. land law zealand.
Use narrower terms to find articles, e.g. culpable homicide defences.
Provides indexing and selective full-text for all major law reviews, law journals, specialty law and bar association journals and legal newspapers. The database offers coverage of federal and state cases, laws and regulations, legal practice and taxation, as well as British Commonwealth, European Union, and international law.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
For advanced legal research try
An index of journal articles collected by the Law Society.
Commentary: use the Big Red Search box to keyword search, then select Secondary Sources Tab. Then filter to commentary from the left-hand menu. Commentary is regularly updated expert interpretation of statutes as analysed in leading cases
Decode abbreviations here.
Jargon-busting from the Ministry of Justice.
This is a legal encyclopedia published by Lexis, and is a good introduction to any area of New Zealand law.
The Law Librarians at AUT have created a guide for non-Law students, for citing the occasional Act or case. For Law students taking Law papers, use the NZLSG.
This help page includes a LOT of help. contact the Law Librarian if you need direction.
Everything you need to know about how the court system works and how to use it. Site includes links to selected judgments from the higher courts.
Court Hierarchy
Kate Thompson
Sir Robert Stout Law Library
8th Floor, Richardson Building
University of Otago
Email: kate.thompson@otago.ac.nz