The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2018 Global Review of Constitutional Law: New Zealand
10 Pages Posted: 23 Aug 2019 Last revised: 9 Jan 2021
Date Written: April 4, 2019
Abstract
Following the election in November 2017 of a new Labour-New Zealand First Government supported by the Green Party, 2018 was something of a consolidating year in New Zealand’s parliamentary democracy. This new Government spent much of the year coming to terms with the fact that it had (somewhat expectedly) won office, while the now-opposition National Party also grappled with its new status. As such, constitutional developments largely came via the judiciary, with some important (albeit restrained in their reach) decisions handed down by the nation’s Supreme Court. These decisions touched on what are the two main issues in New Zealand’s contemporary constitutional discussions: the relationship of the judicial and legislative branches; and the rights of the indigenous Māori people under the Treaty of Waitangi.
Keywords: Constitutional Law, New Zealand, NZ Supreme Court, Constitutional Developments
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