Samira Taghavi When a statutory regulator begins to stretch its mandate beyond what Parliament intended, it is not a minor procedural concern – it is a constitutional matter. The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has recently asserted that its jurisdiction may extend to “internet radio” and other forms of internet-delivered audio content. At first glance, this might appear to be an administrative or technological question. It is not. It is about the limits of state power, the certa...| Law News
Neil Sands New Zealand needs dozens more MPs so Parliament can do a better job, even though the public would baulk at the idea of paying for extra politicians, an influential think-tank says. The proposal to boost MP numbers to at least 170, up from 123 in the current Parliament, is contained in the New Zealand Initiative’s (NZI) review of almost 30 years of mixed member proportional elections in New Zealand. The review, written by NZI senior fellow Nick Clark, also recommends four-year par...| Law News
Roger Partridge In August 2025, the government announced the biggest reform to New Zealand’s building consent system in two decades. The problem? Councils facing massive liability for building defects have become so risk-averse that the entire consenting system has seized up. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk cited the scale of exposure: in one Queenstown case, ratepayers faced potential liability of $160 million for weathertight defects. Had the case not been settled priv...| Law News
Critique of the NZLS's reform proposals highlights risks to justice, confidentiality, and oversight. Samira Taghavi argues key changes may harm both lawyers and the public interest.| Law News
