The Constitution of New Zealand

The Constitution of New Zealand
Author: Matthew SR Palmer
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2022-02-10
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1849469059

This book examines New Zealand's constitution, through the lens of constitutional realism. It looks at the practices, habits, conventions and norms of constitutional life. It focuses on the structures, processes and culture that govern the exercise of public power – a perspective that is necessary to explore and account for a lived, rather than textual, constitution. New Zealand's constitution is unique. One of three remaining unwritten democratic constitutions in the world, it is characterised by a charming set of anachronistic contrasts. “Unwritten”, but much found in various written sources. Built on a network of Westminster constitutional conventions but generously tailored to local conditions. Proudly independent, yet perhaps a purer Westminster model than its British parent. Flexible and vulnerable, while oddly enduring. It looks to the centralised authority that comes with a strong executive, strict parliamentary sovereignty, and a unitary state. However, its populace insists on egalitarian values and representative democracy, with elections fiercely conducted nowadays under a system of proportional representation. The interests of indigenous Maori are protected largely through democratic majority rule. A reputation for upholding the rule of law, yet few institutional safeguards to ensure compliance.

The Form of Legislation and the Rule of Law

The Form of Legislation and the Rule of Law
Author: Ronan Cormacain
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2022-12-22
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1509938060

What does the rule of law mean, in practical terms, for the way that legislation is prepared, drafted and presented? It is a cornerstone of the UK legal order and requires certain things from the legal system, such as that the law must be intelligible, predictable and accessible. This book examines what those requirements mean for the form that legislation must take. Using the rule of law as the starting point, the author uses deductive reasoning to determine what flows from this in terms of the form of legislation. Each element of the rule of law is analysed to establish principles about the form that legislation ought to take, and the book examines how each principle can be given concrete effect. The originality lies in the nexus between the rule of law and the form of legislation. Much has been written about the nature and content of the rule of law, but relatively little has been devoted to legisprudence, the theory and practice of legislation. This book now draws these two subjects together in a detailed and innovative way.

Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand

Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand
Author: David McGee
Publisher: Oratia Media Ltd
Total Pages: 787
Release: 2021-05-01T00:00:00Z
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0947506241

Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand provides a detailed description of New Zealand’s parliamentary practice. It is an authoritative text for use by members of Parliament, public servants, academics, parliamentary officers and other working professionals who have an interest in Parliament, such as the legal profession. This fourth edition incorporates a decade of developments since the third edition in 2005, and reflects many significant changes in parliamentary law, practice and procedure, including: the Parliamentary Privilege Act 2014 how the House and its committees conduct legislative and financial scrutiny the use of extended sittings by the House the increased role of the Business Committee to manage the transaction of parliamentary business how the work of the House and its committees is communicated to the public. This new edition features an attractive design and accessible structure, with extensive indexing and references.

Modern Statutory Interpretation

Modern Statutory Interpretation
Author: Jeffrey Barnes
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 817
Release: 2023-01-10
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1108896766

Statutory interpretation is both a distinct body of law governing the determination of the meaning of legislation and a task that requires a set of skills. It is thus an essential area of legal practice, education and research. Modern Statutory Interpretation: Framework, Principles and Practice is an original, clear, coherent and research-based account of contemporary Australian statutory interpretation. Written by experts in the field, the book provides a comprehensive coverage of statutory interpretation law as well as examining related areas such as legislative drafting, the parliamentary process, the modern history of interpretation, sources of doubt, and interpretation techniques. The content is structured in eight parts. Parts I-III introduce foundational matters, Parts IV-VII deal with the general principles of interpretation, and Part VIII examines special interpretative issues. Modern Statutory Interpretation is an essential resource for legal professionals, legal researchers, and students undertaking advanced courses in statutory interpretation in Australia.

Constitutionally Conforming Interpretation – Comparative Perspectives

Constitutionally Conforming Interpretation – Comparative Perspectives
Author: Matthias Klatt
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 463
Release: 2023-11-02
Genre: Law
ISBN: 150995385X

This is the first part of a 2-volume set that presents an in-depth investigation into the canon of constitutionally conforming interpretation. These volumes address the fundamental issues the canon raises in the national, supranational and international contexts. In volume 1, experts from 19 jurisdictions, including Brazil, Canada, India, the UK, and the USA, present reports which give concise overviews of the approaches and debates on constitutionally conforming interpretation. These reports cover the structural background, the conditions of application, as well as issues of competence. Further aspects discussed are its perceived normativity and popularity in everyday legal practice. Together with volume 2, which explores the canon's use and theoretical impact beyond the national context in a comparative and critical manner, this book fills an important gap in legal scholarship and sets the stage for cross-national discourse.

Feminist Judgments of Aotearoa New Zealand

Feminist Judgments of Aotearoa New Zealand
Author: Elisabeth McDonald
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 575
Release: 2017-11-30
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1509909753

This edited collection asks how key New Zealand judgments might read if they were written by a feminist judge. Feminist judging is an emerging critical legal approach that works within the confines of common law legal method to challenge the myth of judicial neutrality and illustrate how the personal experiences and perspectives of judges may influence the reasoning and outcome of their decisions. Uniquely, this book includes a set of cases employing an approach based on mana wahine, the use of Maori values that recognise the complex realities of Maori women's lives. Through these feminist and mana wahine judgments, it opens possibilities of more inclusive judicial decision making for the future. 'This Project stops us in our tracks and asks us: how could things have been different? At key moments in our legal history, what difference would it have made if feminist judges had been at the tiller? By doing so, it raises a host of important questions. What does it take to be a feminist judge? Would we want our judges to be feminists and if so why? Is there a uniquely female perspective to judging?' Professor Claudia Geiringer, Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington 'With this book, some of our leading jurists expose the biases and power structures that underpin legal rules and the interpretation of them. Some also give voice to mana wahine perspectives on and about the law that have become invisible over time, perpetuating the impacts of colonialism and patriarchy combined on Maori women. I hope this book will be a catalyst for our nation to better understand and then seek to ameliorate these impacts.' Dr Claire Charters, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Auckland 'The work is highly illuminating and is critical to the development of our legal system ... It is crucial, not only for legal education, so that students of the law open their minds to the different ways legal problems can be conceptualised and decided. It is also crucial if we are going to have a truly just legal system where all the different voices and perspectives are fairly heard.' Professor Mark Henaghan, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Otago 'I believe this project is particularly important, as few academics or researchers in New Zealand concentrate on judicial method. I am therefore hopeful that it will provoke thoughtful debate in a critical area for society.' The Honourable Justice Helen Winkelmann, New Zealand Court of Appeal