Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
16 August 2023
Correspondent
[FYI request #23468 email]
Ref: OIA 106132
Tēnā koe
Official Information Act request: LexisNexis
Thank you for request on 11 July 2023 under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act), to
the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet regarding access to LexisNexis’
Laws of
New Zealand. Your request was transferred under section 14 of the Act to the Ministry of
Justice (the Ministry) for response.
The
Laws of New Zealand, published by LexisNexis, is one of many privately published legal
commentaries and databases that exist in relation to New Zealand legislation and case law.
Access to these materials is at the discretion of the publisher, and the Government has no
plans to extend public access to these materials. Government agencies may have their own
individual arrangements providing them with access to legal commentaries and databases
published by LexisNexis, such as the
Laws of New Zealand. For example, the Ministry has a
contract with LexisNexis which provides Ministry staff and judicial officers with access to the
Laws of New Zealand.
The New Zealand Legislation website is the authoritative source for most New Zealand
legislation and can be publicly accessed for free at: legislation.govt.nz/. The website is
maintained by the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO), which is the New Zealand’s law
drafting office, and publisher of most New Zealand legislation. The website also contains
information about how to access other legislation that is not published by PCO:
legislation.govt.nz/howitworks.aspx#otherlegislation
Historical New Zealand legislation can be found in various databases hosted by the New
Zealand Legal Information Institute that are available online at: .nzli .org/databases.html.
You wil need to contact other government agencies directly to find out whether they have
arrangements with LexisNexis that provide them access to the
Laws of New Zealand, as the
Ministry does not hold this information.
More information about the Ministry’s contract with LexisNexis is also available at:
fyi.org.nz/request/23223-data-sharing#incoming-88271
Most judgments of our higher courts (the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court)
Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
are publicly accessible for free through the Ministry of Justice’s Judicial Decisions Online
database at: https:/ www.justice.govt.nz/courts/decisions/jdo.
Some decisions of other courts and tribunals are also publicly accessible for free through the
Ministry of Justice’s decision finder at: https:/ www.justice.govt.nz/courts/decisions/, and on
the websites of the courts and tribunals listed here:
https:/ www.justice.govt.nz/courts/decisions/how-to-find/.
If you require any further information, please contact Media & Social Media Manager Joe
Locke at [email address].
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at: justice.govt.nz/about/official-information-act-requests/oia-responses/.
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. The Of ice of the Ombudsman may be
contacted by email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Thank you for taking the time to write.
Nāku noa, nā
Anna Johnston
Acting General Manager, Civil & Constitutional