Victoria University of Wellington is a public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand.
The Treaty of Waitangi, sometimes referred to as Te Tiriti, is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the treatment of the Māori people in New Zealand by successive governments and the wider population, something that has been especially prominent from the late 20th century. The treaty document is an agreement, not a treaty as recognised in international law, and has no independent legal status, being legally effective only to the extent it is recognised in various statutes. It was first signed on 6 February 1840 by Captain William Hobson as consul for the British Crown and by Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand. The treaty's quasi-legal status satisfies the demands of biculturalism in contemporary New Zealand society. In general terms, it is interpreted today as having established a partnership between equals in a way the Crown probably did not intend it to in 1840. Specifically, the treaty is seen, first, as entitling Maori to enjoyment of land and of natural resources and, if that right were ever breached, to restitution. Second, the treaty's quasi-legal status has clouded the question of whether Maori had ceded sovereignty to the Crown in 1840, and if so, whether such sovereignty remains intact.
New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights and obligations in the use of NZSL throughout the legal system and to ensure that the Deaf community had the same access to government information and services as everybody else. According to the 2013 Census, over 20,000 New Zealanders know NZSL.
British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language is a language grouping or family encompassing three related sign languages: British Sign Language (BSL), Auslan and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). The term BANZSL was coined informally by the linguists Trevor Johnston and Adam Schembri in the early 2000s. However, in 2024, Schembri remarked that the Wikipedia article on BANZSL had begun describing it with the more specific or authoritative meaning of "the language from which modern BSL and Auslan and New Zealand sign language have descended", a meaning that "took on a life of its own—something that we didn't intend". As a result, Schembri has disowned the term due to the perception that it is replacing the names of each of the three varieties and because of pushback from Deaf communities.
Van Asch Deaf Education Centre was located in Truro Street, Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand. It was a special school for deaf children, accepting both day and residential pupils, as well being as a resource centre providing services and support for parents, mainstream students and their teachers in the South Island and the Lower North Island.
Christopher Francis Finlayson is a New Zealand lawyer and former Member of Parliament, representing the National Party.
The legal recognition of signed languages differs widely. In some jurisdictions, a signed language is recognised as an official language; in others, it has a protected status in certain areas. Although a government may stipulate in its constitution that a "signed language" is recognised, it may fail to specify which signed language; several different signed languages may be commonly used.
New Zealand lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are some of the most extensive in the world. The protection of LGBT rights is advanced, relative to other countries in Oceania, and among the most liberal in the world, with the country being the first in the region to legalise same-sex marriage.
English is the predominant language and a de facto official language of New Zealand. Almost the entire population speak it either as native speakers or proficiently as a second language. The New Zealand English dialect is most similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with some key differences. The Māori language of the indigenous Māori people was made the first de jure official language in 1987. New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) has been an official language since 2006. Many other languages are used by New Zealand's minority ethnic communities.
The Māori Language Act 1987 was a piece of legislation passed by the Parliament of New Zealand that gave official language status to the Māori language, and gave speakers a right to use it in legal settings such as courts. It also established the Māori Language Commission, initially called Te Komihana Mo Te Reo Maori, to promote the language and provide advice on it. The law was enacted as the Maori Language Act 1987 and originally written without macrons.
The Sign Language Interpreters Association of New Zealand (SLIANZ) is the national professional body that represents the interests of professional sign language interpreters in New Zealand. It was established in 1996, became an incorporated society in 1997, and is an affiliate member of the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters. Internationally it is a member of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters and constitutes the second largest representative group of sign language interpreters in the WASLI Oceania region, after Australia.
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 Colony of New Zealand was a colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that encompassed the islands of New Zealand. The colony was proclaimed by its British settler population in 1841, and lasted until 1907, when the Dominion of New Zealand was established. The sovereignty of Britain over the islands was initially nominal, before becoming substantive upon the conclusion of the New Zealand Wars, after which Māori sovereignty was essentially overcome. The power of the British Government was vested in the governor of New Zealand. The colony had three successive capitals: Okiato in 1841; Auckland from 1841 to 1865; and Wellington from 1865, which continues as the capital of New Zealand today.
The judiciary of New Zealand is responsible for the system of courts that interprets and applies the laws of New Zealand. It has four primary functions: to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution; to deliver authoritative rulings on the meaning and application of legislation; to develop case law; and to uphold the rule of law, personal liberty and human rights. The judiciary is supported in its work by an executive department, the Ministry of Justice.
In New Zealand law and politics, the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is a phrase used in the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is a set of principles derived from, and interpreting, the Treaty of Waitangi. These principles were codified in 1987, partly an attempt to reconcile the different Māori and English language versions of the treaty, and allow the application of the treaty to a contemporary context.
Dr Andrew Robert Jack is a New Zealand barrister who served as the eleventh Chief Censor of New Zealand from March 2011 to March 2017.
Disability rights are not specifically addressed by legislation in New Zealand. Instead, disability rights are addressed through human rights legislation. Human rights in New Zealand are protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Human Rights Act 1993. New Zealand also signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008.
Nicola Valentine Willis is a New Zealand politician who is currently deputy leader of the National Party and minister of Finance in a coalition government with ACT and New Zealand First. Willis entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2018, when she inherited Steven Joyce's seat in Parliament as the next on the party list after his retirement from politics.
Camilla Vera Feslier Belich is a New Zealand lawyer, trade unionist and politician. She has been a Member of Parliament, representing the New Zealand Labour Party, since 2020.
Nicole Raima McKee is a New Zealand politician. She has been a Member of Parliament for ACT New Zealand since the 2020 general election. She currently serves as the 12th Minister for Courts and Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms).
