New Zealand in Brief
Nation and government
Story: Nation and government
The origins of nationhood
From colony to nation
System of government
The electoral system
The state sector and Crown entities
The legal system
Nationhood and identity
New Zealand in the world
Amending the statutes
The laws of New Zealand are passed by Parliament's House of Representatives. Parliament alone can make and change laws, which are published as the Statutes of New Zealand. In the past, keeping the statutes up to date was a laborious task for people like this young woman, who is using scissors and paste to insert amendments into particular statutes. The statutes are now available online.
Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP/1985/3818/3A
Photograph by Stuart Ramson
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
Abolishing appeals to the Privy Council
Race Relations Day poster
John Wilson, 'Nation and government - The constitution', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/2461/amending-the-statutes (accessed 20 January 2020)
Story by John Wilson, updated 16 Sep 2016