The structure and operation of section 7 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act

Abstract

This paper will discuss the structure and operation of section 7 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act (NZBORA). This will include the initial development of NZBORA, and the theory behind rights safeguards.

I will then examine possible improvements and alternatives to New Zealand’s existing rights safeguards. This will include a discussion of judicial review, parliamentary scrutiny, human rights select committees, and policy making processes, specifically the potential of Human Rights Impact Statements as part of the policy process.