Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture

What Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture does

Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture is an independent Crown entity established under the Law Commission Act 1985 to review areas of New Zealand law and recommend reforms to the Government. The Commission undertakes law reform reviews referred by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission (currently the Minister of Justice), conducts extensive legal research domestically and internationally, and engages with affected parties and the public through issues papers, consultation documents, and written submissions. Its final reports are presented to Parliament by the responsible Minister, and the Government decides whether to implement the recommendations. The Commission's independence is anchored by statute, and under the Act it is required to take te ao Māori and Māori perspectives into account across all its work, supported by a standing Māori Liaison Committee.

The Commission's core outputs are law reform review reports (such as the 2026 hate crime Final Report with 12 recommendations and the adult decision-making capacity Final Report with 175 recommendations), accompanied by issues papers and consultation documents that invite public submissions. It also publishes an implementation tracking database that records which Bills, Acts, and measures have enacted its recommendations since 1987, and supports public engagement via its website, the Te Aka Kōrero newsletter, and a 'have your say' submission portal. The organisation has completed over 150 law reform projects since 1987, with most reports implemented in whole or substantial part and cited in Parliament, the courts, and legal writing. Headquarters are in Wellington; leadership includes Commissioner Dr Mark Hickford; Commissioners are drawn from judges, legal practitioners, and academics.

The Law Commission is funded by parliamentary appropriations and does not generate commercial revenue. Its sole direct 'customer' is the New Zealand Government via the Minister of Justice, with the public of Aotearoa New Zealand acting as ultimate beneficiary and participant in consultations. Products are distributed free of charge through lawcom.govt.nz. There are no patents, trademarks, or commercial partnerships; the only structural relationship is its statutory accountability to the responsible Minister, who refers work and tables reports. As a small Crown entity with 11–50 employees, the Commission is a policy-and-advisory body rather than a technology, product, or services business.

Name

Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture

Legal name

Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture

Website

https://lawcom.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Law Commission is an independent New Zealand Crown entity, established 1987, that reviews areas of law and recommends reforms to the Government through research, public consultation, and final reports presented to Parliament by the Minister of Justice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Policy and Law Reform Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130)

akta.pro primary industry

Rule of Law & Justice Sector Reform (BPADAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ)

Keywords

• Law reform reviews
• Statutory law commissions
• Legal policy recommendations
• Government consultation submissions
• Implementation tracking database

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As an independent Crown entity, the Law Commission is funded by the New Zealand Government. The Commission does not generate commercial revenue. Its work programme is set by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission following consultation with other Ministers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Law Commission conducts independent law reform reviews referred by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission (currently the Minister of Justice). It produces research-based final reports with recommendations for law reform, presents them to Parliament, and supports public participation through issues papers, consultation documents, and submission services. Outputs are publicly available at no cost.

Product overview

Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture operates as a single unified service delivering law reform through a structured review process. The Commission's core offering consists of law reform review reports with evidence-based recommendations presented to Parliament, supplemented by issues papers and consultation documents that invite public participation. Additional services include a comprehensive implementation tracking database documenting the legislative outcomes of their recommendations since 1987, and public consultation services enabling civic engagement through submissions and topic suggestions. The portfolio is interconnected: consultation documents generate public input that shapes final reports, which then feed into the implementation tracking system to monitor government action on recommendations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Law Reform Review Reports

Quantifiable outcome

• Most reports are implemented either in whole or substantial part

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• New Zealand Government (Minister of Justice)coreOthersThe Law Commission operates as an independent Crown entity with a statutory role. Law reform reviews are referred to the Commission by the Minister responsible for the Law Commission (currently the Minister of Justice) following consultation with other Ministers. The Government decides whether to implement recommendations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Victorian Law Reform Commission: The Victorian Law Reform Commission is an Australian state-level law reform body that reviews and reports on Victorian law. Comparable in function but with a sub-national jurisdictional scope.
• Te Puna Whakaiti Ture | Legal Research Foundation: The Legal Research Foundation is a New Zealand-based independent organisation that publishes legal research and hosts seminars. It is comparable as a New Zealand-focused independent legal research and publishing body, though with a more academic orientation.

Broad incumbents

• American Law Institute: The American Law Institute is a leading independent organisation producing scholarly restatements of law and model codes. It is comparable as a major independent legal reform-oriented body, though it operates through private scholarship rather than government commission.

Direct peers

• Law Reform Commission of Ireland: The Law Reform Commission of Ireland is an independent statutory body that reviews aspects of Irish law and makes proposals for reform. It is comparable in mandate, structure, and statutory independence.
• Australian Law Reform Commission: The Australian Law Reform Commission is a federal statutory agency that conducts reviews of Australian law and makes recommendations for reform. It shares the same core function of independent law reform review through reports to government.
• Singapore Law Reform Commission: The Singapore Law Reform Commission is a government body that reviews the laws of Singapore and recommends reforms. Comparable in being a government-established law reform body that produces reports and recommendations.
• Scottish Law Commission: The Scottish Law Commission is an independent statutory body established to review and recommend reforms to Scots law. It directly mirrors the New Zealand Law Commission's role, jurisdiction, and Crown entity status.
• Law Commission of England and Wales: The UK Law Commission is a statutory independent body that reviews and recommends reforms to the law of England and Wales. It is the closest international analog to the Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture in mandate, structure, and operating model.
• Law Commission of India: The Law Commission of India is a statutory body tasked with reviewing Indian law and recommending reforms. It is comparable in statutory mandate and function to the New Zealand Law Commission.
• Law Reform Commission of Ontario: The Law Commission of Ontario is an independent agency that makes recommendations to improve Ontario's laws. It is comparable in operating model to the New Zealand Law Commission as a focused law reform review body.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/law-commission-te-aka-matua-o-te-ture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture