There is a good reason why we have lawyers. Our system of law (called the Common Law) was inherited from England and has been around since the 11th Century. It is dynamic, always changing and adapting to changes in society’s attitudes. Because of this long history, and changeable nature, New Zealand law contains a lot of ‘constructs’ – words or terms that have been created specifically to mean something.
Some of the terms used in New Zealand law are borrowed from England, some you will have heard used in television programmes or movies, some are based on Latin, some are borrowed from Māori. Every word used by lawyers and judges have specific meaning. The glossary below doesn’t have every legal term, but it contains a lot of common ones you will come across. It is sourced from the Ministry of Justice, the Interpretation Act 1999, and various other reliable sources.
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