The Bill of Rights 1689 is an Act of the Parliament of England that set out certain basic civil rights and clarified who would be next to inherit the Crown. It remains a crucial statute in English constitutional law.
Freedom of information laws allow access by the general public to data held by national governments and, where applicable, by state and local governments. The emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisfaction with the secrecy surrounding government policy development and decision making. In recent years Access to Information Act has also been used. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions. Also variously referred to as open records, or sunshine laws, governments are typically bound by a duty to publish and promote openness. In many countries there are constitutional guarantees for the right of access to information, but these are usually unused if specific support legislation does not exist. Additionally, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 has a target to ensure public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms as a means to ensure accountable, inclusive and just institutions.
The Constitution Act, 1982 is a part of the Constitution of Canada. The Act was introduced as part of Canada's process of patriating the constitution, introducing several amendments to the British North America Act, 1867, including re-naming it the Constitution Act, 1867. In addition to patriating the Constitution, the Constitution Act, 1982 enacted the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; guaranteed rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada; provided for future constitutional conferences; and set out the procedures for amending the Constitution in the future.
The New Zealand Parliament is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the Sovereign (King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by his governor-general. Before 1951, there was an upper chamber, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The New Zealand Parliament was established in 1854 and is one of the oldest continuously functioning legislatures in the world. It has met in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, since 1865.
ACT New Zealand, also known as the ACT Party or simply ACT, is a right-wing, classical-liberal political party in New Zealand. It is currently led by David Seymour, and is in coalition with the National and New Zealand First parties, as part of the Sixth National government.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in New Zealand since 19 August 2013. Legislation to allow it, the Marriage Amendment Act 2013 was passed by the House of Representatives on 17 April 2013 by 77 votes to 44 and received royal assent on 19 April. It entered into force on 19 August, to allow time for the Department of Internal Affairs to make the necessary changes for marriage licensing and related documentation. New Zealand became the first country in Oceania, the fourth in the Southern Hemisphere, and the fifteenth overall to allow same-sex couples to marry. Civil unions have also been available for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples since 2005.
The constitution of New Zealand is the sum of laws and principles that determine the political governance of New Zealand. Unlike many other nations, New Zealand has no single constitutional document. It is an uncodified constitution, sometimes referred to as an "unwritten constitution", although the New Zealand constitution is in fact an amalgamation of written and unwritten sources. The Constitution Act 1986 has a central role, alongside a collection of other statutes, orders in Council, letters patent, decisions of the courts, principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and unwritten traditions and conventions. There is no technical difference between ordinary statutes and law considered "constitutional law"; no law is accorded higher status. In most cases the New Zealand Parliament can perform "constitutional reform" simply by passing acts of Parliament, and thus has the power to change or abolish elements of the constitution. There are some exceptions to this though – the Electoral Act 1993 requires certain provisions can only be amended following a referendum.
The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 is a statute of the Parliament of New Zealand part of New Zealand's uncodified constitution that sets out the rights and fundamental freedoms of anyone subject to New Zealand law as a bill of rights, and imposes a legal requirement on the attorney-general to provide a report to parliament whenever a bill is inconsistent with the bill of rights.
Camping is a popular activity for both New Zealand residents and for some of the two million foreign tourists arriving every year. Campsites of different standards, generally in conjunction with other forms of accommodation, are offered by holiday park operators throughout New Zealand. The facilities at these campsites vary from just a basic toilet to a full range of camp ground amenities.
The New Zealand Internet Blackout was an online protest organised by the Creative Freedom Foundation NZ (CFFNZ) against changes to copyright law in New Zealand. It constituted two separate blackouts: one in 2009 to protest Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment Act 2008; and another in 2011 to protest the Copyright Amendment Act 2011, although the CFFNZ did not take part in this one.
The publishing of any "blasphemous libel" was a crime in New Zealand under Section 123 of the Crimes Act 1961 which allowed for imprisonment for up to one year. However, Section 123 protected all publications and opinions on any religious subject expressed in good faith and decent language against prosecution and specified that prosecution may proceed only with the leave of the attorney-general.
Human rights in New Zealand are addressed in the various documents which make up the constitution of the country. Specifically, the two main laws which protect human rights are the New Zealand Human Rights Act 1993 and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. In addition, New Zealand has also ratified numerous international United Nations treaties. The 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted that the government generally respected the rights of individuals, but voiced concerns regarding the social status of the indigenous population.
The Perth Agreement was made in Australia in 2011 by the prime ministers of what were then the sixteen states known as Commonwealth realms, all recognising Elizabeth II as their head of state. The document agreed that the governments of the realms would amend their laws concerning the succession to their shared throne and related matters. The changes, in summary, comprised:
David Breen Seymour is a New Zealand politician. He is the leader of ACT New Zealand and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom. He currently serves as the 1st minister for regulation.
In 2011 the New Zealand Parliament passed the Freedom Camping Act, which gives local councils and authorities the power to ban freedom camping in some, but not all, areas. The New Zealand Parliament introduced the freedom camping act because some tourists disposed of human waste inappropriately where they were camping. The Act does not include Certified Self Containment even tho attempts were made to include it. The reasoning is because the Standard is only applicable to a minority of Freedom campers as determined by the Act and that the NZStandard fails to comply with the bill of Rights Act.
Maria Josina Elisabeth "Marja" Lubeck is a New Zealand politician. She was a member of parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.
Anahila Lose Kanongata'a is a New Zealand politician. She served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023.
The Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Act 2018 is an Act of Parliament by the New Zealand Parliament that amends the Electoral Act 1993. The act forces the expulsion of members of the New Zealand Parliament who have left or been expelled from their party. If the member of Parliament was elected as an electorate MP, expulsion triggers a by-election. The bill was passed on 27 September 2018 as part of the coalition agreement between the Labour and New Zealand First parties and the Green Party's confidence-and-supply agreement with Labour. The Bill has been described by the media and public as the "Waka jumping bill."
The 2022 Wellington protest was an anti-mandate and anti-lockdown occupation of the grounds of Parliament House and Molesworth Street in Central Wellington during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The occupation spring boarded off the New Zealand Convoy 2022, a mass convoy of vehicles that made its way from the top of the North Island and the bottom of the South Island to Parliament starting on Waitangi Day and arriving three days later on 9 February. The occupation lasted just over three weeks. At its peak, the protest spread over a large area of Thorndon and into Pipitea with approximately 1,000 participants. Protestors blockaded areas around the parliamentary grounds with their vehicles and occupied the lawn and surrounding areas in tents. Due to their large numbers, the protestors also camped on private property, such as the driveways and gardens of nearby homes. Some associated with the protests harassed bystanders, including children walking to and from school, and disrupted local businesses. The protest was forcibly ended by police on 2 March 2022, and the protesters had none of their demands met by the Government.
The Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Act 2022 is an omnibus Act of Parliament passed by the New Zealand Parliament that repeals the elements of the Sentencing and Parole Reform Act 2010, which constitute the so-called three-strikes law. The bill passed its third reading on 9 August 2022 with the support of the governing Labour Party, the allied Green Party, the Māori Party but was opposed by the opposition National and ACT parties.
