1. Introduction
A. History And Background
New Zealand comprises two main islands and a number of smaller
islands situated in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,100
kilometres south east of the Australian coastline.
Total population is approximately 4 million, with about 75 per
cent of the population living on the North Island. Wellington is
the capital, but Auckland is the largest and most populous city and
the commercial hub.
New Zealand was colonised in the 19th century and was subject to
a formal treaty in 1840, signed between the representatives of the
British Crown and the indigenous Maori people.
The currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD).
B. Legal System
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a democratically
elected Parliament. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, whose
personal representative in New Zealand is the Governor General.
Parliament is the governing body, made up of 120 members, and
consisting of a single house referred to as the House of
Representatives. Ministers, who head government departments, form
the Cabinet, which is the decision-making body of the parties in
power.
New Zealand has a common-law legal system derived from England.
The law is based on a substantial body of statute law, supplemented
by common-law decisions of the courts.
The New Zealand court system has four tiers:
- District Court
- High Court
- Court of Appeal, and
- Supreme Court (NZ).
With effect from mid-2004, the government abolished appeals to
the Privy Council.