Law Commission of New Zealand 2007-2008 Annual Report

The 2007-2008 annual report of the Law Commission of New Zealand is available online:

"[A]t the beginning of the 2007/08 financial year the Commission carried over nine projects which were ‘work in progress’ from the 2006/07 work programme plus one new project, a review of the Land Transfer Act 1952. The eleven projects were as follows:

• Search and surveillance powers
• Criminal defences – provocation and insanity
• Review of the law of privacy
• Simplification of criminal procedure
• Admissibility of previous convictions
• Review of maximum penalties
• Review of the law relating to public inquiries
• Tribunals reform
• Presentation of New Zealand statute law
• Review of the Land Transfer Act 1954
• Development of the inaugural sentencing guidelines in the Sentencing
• Establishment Unit "

"In September (...) a further seven reform projects were added to the 2007/08 work programme:

• Review of the Civil List Act 1979
• Review of the Statutes Drafting and Compilation Act 1920
• Review of the law relating to private schools
• Review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975
• Review of Part 8 of the Crimes Act 1961
• Review of prerogative writs
• Review of the War Pensions Act 1954"

"The Commission was also invited to participate in the following work being progressed by other agencies, including:

• Review of the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966, with the Ministry of Health
• Further reform of habeas corpus procedure with the Crown Law Office
• Reducing the level and impact of organised crime in New Zealand, with the Ministry of Justice. "

"In January 2008 (...) the Commission received a reference from Government to consider and report on whether existing legislation should be amended to cover the conduct of individuals that creates risk to or public concern about the preservation of public safety and security. The public safety and security project will concentrate on the state of New Zealand’s existing domestic law, particularly the offences contained in the Crimes Act, Arms Act and Terrorism Suppression Act."