Directory of Decisions

The Commissioner's role is to act as a public advocate for children's rights and interests. The Commissioner has special responsibilities to investigate matters of child abuse and neglect, youth offending and the actions of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. To this end, the Commissioner can inquire into any matter affecting children and young people in any service or organisation.

Children's Commissioner Act 2003

See the website of the Office of the Commissioner for Children for contact details.

Waikato University and Otago University (selected papers)

Established under the Commerce Act 1986 to bring about compliance with the Commerce and Fair Trading Acts, which promote competition and fair trading in New Zealand markets.The Commission may investigate possible breaches of these acts as a result of a complaint or on its own initiative. It does not have a judicial role. If it believes that there has been a breach of these Acts it can issue a warning, negotiate settlements or take court action. It is the courts role to rule on whether there has been a breach.

The Commission can grant authorisation of restrictive trade practices on the grounds of public benefit. This gives businesses exemption from the Commerce Act prohibitions on restrictive trade practices.

It also has a role in clearing or authorising certain business acquisitions where market dominance is at issue.

Commerce Act 1986;Fair Trading Act 1986

See the contact us page for regional office information and online complaints form.

NZLII (selected 1975-1992, full coverage 1993 onwards).

Selected summaries and full-text decisions, June 1997 to December 2005 from Linxplus.  Also available from

LexisNexis Judgment Service (selected decisions 1986-1993).

BriefCase,Linxplus

(1997 onwards)

NZAR,NZBLC

(1987-1991)

Originally established under the (now repealed) Commerce Act 1975.

Deals with issues such as objections to Patent grants, extensions of terms and revocation of Patentsand Trade Marks. Also makes some decisions in relation to Design matters.

Designs Act 1953;Patents Act 1953;Trade Marks Act 2002

See the IPONZ website for contact information.

NZLII includes decisions for Designs, 1958 onwards, Patents,1957 onwards, Trademarks,1954 onwards, and Plant Variety Rights.

IPR contains selected Intellectual property decisions from the High Court and Court of Appeal, but does not include Decisions of the Commissioner. Also reported in NZIPR.

Intellectual property issues regarding copyright are dealt with by the Copyright Tribunal.

The Domain Name Commission (DNCL) manages and administers the .nz domain name space

See the Domain Name Commission website.

Decisions are available on the DNC website.

Provides a forum where consumers can access an independent dispute resolution service for complaints about their electricity or gas lines or retail companies.

The Commission is an independent organization.

Please note: Name has changed to Utilities Disputes on 1 November 2016

The Commission hears casino licensing applications, and appeals on licensing and enforcement decisions made by the Secretary of Internal Affairs in relation to gaming machines and other non-casino gambling activities. The Gambling Commission has the powers of a Commission of Inquiry.

Gambling Act 2003; the Commission's website includes links to other relevant legislation.

Contact information can be found on the commission website.

Available from the Commission's website

Replaces the Casino Control Authority

Promotes and protects the rights of consumers of health and disability support services. It facilitates resolution of complaints relating to infringement of these rights. The Commissioner administers the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights (1996).

Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994

Contact details are on the HDC website

Decisions are on the Commissioner's website.

Decisions of the Health and Disability Commissioner (and the former Complaints Review Tribunal) are indexed by BriefCase.

The Human Rights Commission is a statutory body that administers the Human Rights Act 1993. The Commission's primary functions are: to advocate and promote respect for, and an understanding and appreciation of, human rights in New Zealand society; and to encourage the maintenance and development of harmonious relations between individuals and among the diverse groups in New Zealand society.

Human Rights Act 1993

Email:[email protected]Office of Human Rights ProceedingsLevel 3 21 Queens StreetPO Box 6751,Wellesley Street, Auckland, 1141,New ZealandTel: +64 9 309 0874See also the Commission's contact page

Proceedings brought by the Commission are heard by the Human Rights Review Tribunal

Prior to 1 January 2002,  the Human Rights Commission had the legal authority to form opinions as to whether a complaint had substance, that is, that there had been a breach of the Human Rights Act 1993 (HRA). Amendments to that Act, which came into force on January 1 2002, mean that the Commission no longer has the legal authority to form an opinion that there had been a breach of the HRA. Incorporates the Office of the Race Relations Commissioner (formerly Race Relations Conciliator).

Deals with complaints about the conduct of Judges. Cannot challenge the legality or correctness of a Judge's decision in relation to any legal proceedings.

Judicial Conduct Commissioner and Judicial Conduct Panel Act 2004

See the Office of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner website for contact information

Available from the Commissioner's website.

To review and provide advice on environmental issues and the system of agencies and processes established by the Government to manage the environment.  The Commissioner may investigate any matter where the environment may be, or has been adversely affected; assess the capability, performance and effectiveness of the New Zealand system of environmental management; and provide advice and information that will assist people to maintain and improve the quality of the environment. The Commissioner discusses with decision-makers in relevant public authorities the issues identified by particular investigations and the ways in which these can be addressed.

Environment Act 1986.

See the contact information on the PCE website

Most reports from 1997 onward are available from the Commission's website

Enquires into any practice, procedure, technical development or enactment of legislation which may lead to infringement of individual privacy. This can involve receiving representations from the public on such matters; reporting to the Prime Minister on matters affecting individual privacy; educating the public in such matters and developing Privacy Codes of Practice for specific industries, agencies and types of personal information.

Privacy Act 1993

Privacy Commissioner Contact details are available online

Case Notes are available from the Privacy Commission website (1994 onwards) and NZLII(1996 onwards).Note:no Case Notes were released in the 2000 calendar year.

Waikato University (Case notes 1993-1998); Complaints Review Tribunal privacy cases 1993-2001); codes of practice; annual report; Private Word (newsletter); Canterbury University (issues sheets, fact sheets, Complaints Review Tribunal privacy cases 1993 - 1997)

A Privacy Commissioner was originally established under the repealed Privacy Commissioner Act 1991.

The Retirement Commission was established in 1995, mainly to establish an understanding of public concerns and knowledge of retirement income issues. With the passing of the Retirement Villages Act in 2003 the Commission's role expanded to include monitoring the effects of the Act, promote education and publish information, approve members of a disputes panel, and consulting and making recommendations on a Code of Practice to cover all retirement villages. The Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008.

NZ Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001,Retirement Villages Act 2003

Contact the Retirement Commissioner.

The Commission website includes links to decisions that disputes panels have made since the dispute resolution provisions of the Retirement Villages Act 2003 came into force on 1 October 2006. The first decision was made in March 2007.

The Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008 and an Overview of the Code are available on the website.

Deals with disputes in the telecommunications field.

Telecommunications Act 2001

Determinations of the Commissioner are available via the Commerce Commission's decision register

Determines only the circumstances and causes of accidents and incidents (as opposed to ascribing blame to any person) with a view to avoiding future occurrences.

Transport Accident Investigation Commission Act 1990.

See the Transport Accident Investigation Commission website

All TAIC reports published after 1 December 2001 are available as pdf files free of charge from the TAIC website, as well as summaries and selected full text reports from about 1990 onwards.

Case notes are available on the Utilities Disputes website.

Please note: case notes from before 1 November 2016 will refer to outdated terminology, including our old name (The Office of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner).