Timeline - Legislation
Family Court (Family Court Associates) Legislation Act 2023 passed
Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Act 2022, in force 1 May 2023
Integrity Sport and Recreation Act 2023 passed, Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission to be established in 2024
Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 passed disestablishing District Health Boards and the Health Promotion Agency, repealing New Zealand Health and Disability Act 2000
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Family Court (Supporting Families in Court) Legislation Act 2020 passed, amending the Care of Children Act 2004 and the Legal Services Act 2011
Abortion Legislation Act 2020 passed, amending the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977
Privacy Act 2020 passed, replacing Privacy Act 1993
Crimes (Definition of Female Genital Mutilation) Amendment Act 2020 passed
Family Violence Act 2018 in force 1 July 2019
Changes to Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 passed in 2017, fully in force 1 July 2019
Oranga Tamariki National Care Standards in force 1 July 2019
Domestic Violence—Victims’ Protection Act 2018 passed. This Act which amends the , Employment Relations Act 2000, Holidays Act 2003, and Human Rights Act 1993 provides workplace protections for victims of domestic violence. The Act comes into force 1 April 2019.
Families Commission Repeal Act 2018 passed. Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (Superu) closed on 30 June 2018.
Family Violence Act 2018 passed. This act comes into force on 1 July 2019 and will repeal the Domestic Violence Act 1995.
Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018 passed. Part 1 (amendments to Bail Act 2000), Part 3 (amendments to Crimes Act 1961) and Part 5 (amendments to the Evidence Act 2006) in force on 3 December 2018. The parts in force on 3 December 2018 introduce the new offences of strangulation or suffocation, coerced marriage or civil union, and assault on family member, and prioritise victim safety in bail decisions and enable video evidence. Other parts of the act come into force on 1 July 2019
Minors (Court Consent to Relationships) Legislation Act 2018 passed, requiring 16 and 17 year olds to apply to the Family Court for approval to marry or enter a civil union. Commenced 14 August 2018
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act 2017 received Royal Assent on 13 July 2017. This Act makes significant changes (not all yet in force) to the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989, renaming the Act, Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 or Children’s and Young People’s Well-being Act 1989
Vulnerable Children (Children's Services) Order 2016 in force 18 April 2016
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Advocacy, Workforce, and Age Settings) Amendment Act 2016 passed (in force 1 April 2017)
Child Sex Offender (CSO) Register commenced operation on 14 October 2016 after the Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) Act 2016 was passed
- Family Courts Amendment Act 2013 passed
Domestic Violence Amendment Act 2013 passed
- Vulnerable Children Bill introduced to Parliament
Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013 passed, enabling same sex couples to legally marry from 19 August 2013
- Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Bill introduced to Parliament
Crimes Amendment Act (No 3) 2011 passed. Creates a new offence of 'failure to protect' a child or vulnerable adult
- Police Safety Orders become law
- Criminal Justice Reform Bill passed as five acts, in particular amending the Parole Act 2002
- Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 - act to repeal Section 59 (Parental control) of the Crimes Act 1961 passed (in force 21 June 2007)
- Care of Children Act 2004 passed
Civil Union Act 2004 passed, enabling "two people, whether they are of different or the same sex" to enter into a civil union.
Families Commission Act 2003 passed. Repealed, on 30 June 2018, by section 7 of the Families Commission Act Repeal Act 2018
- Children’s Commissioner Act 2003 passed
Prostitution Reform Act 2003 passed
- Victims' Rights Act 2002 passed
- Parole Act 2002 passed
Harassment Act 1997 passed
- Domestic Violence Act 1995 passed
- Guardianship Amendment Act 1995 introduced a presumption that parents who use violence should not have unsupervised access to their children. This amendment along with the principal act repealed by the Care of Children Act 2004
Privacy Act 1993 passed. Updated by Privacy Act 2020
- Child Support Act 1991 passed
Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 passed. Renamed Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 (or Children's and Young People's Well-being Act 1989), by significant amending legislation passed in July 2017
- Victims of Offences Act 1987 passed. Repealed by Victims' Rights Act 2002
- Review of the Children and Young Persons Bill (Report of the Working Party. Department of Social Welfare 1987)
Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 passed, amending the Crimes Act 1961 by removing criminal sanctions against consensual homosexual conduct between males
Crimes Amendment Act (No 3) 1985 paseed, removing sections of the Crimes Act 1961 relating to rape and substituting new provisions relating to 'sexual violation', which included male rape of a woman and 'a person having unlawful sexual connection with another person'
- Review of the Children and young person's legislation: public discussion document (Manchester. Departmet of Social Welfare, 1984) published
- Domestic Protection Act 1982 passed. Repealed by Domestic Violence Act 1995
- Family Courts Act 1980 passed
- Family Proceedings Act 1980 passed
Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 passed. Substantive amendments made by Abortion Legislation Act 2020
- Children and Young Persons Act 1974 passed, replacing Child Welfare Act 1925. Repealed by Chilren, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989
- Guardianship Act 1968 passed. Repealed and replaced by the Care of Children Act 2004
Crimes Act 1961 passed, repealing Crimes Act 1908
Adoption Act 1955 passed
Marriaga Act 1955 passed
Child Welfare Act 1925 archived by NZLII, passed (see Garlick, 2012, p.53). Repealed by Children and Young Persons Act 1974
Juvenile Depravity Suppression Bill proposed but not passed
Industrial Schools Act 1882 archived by NZLII (see Watt, 2003, p.7) passed. Consolidated 1908 and repealed by Child Welfare Act 1925
Neglected and Criminal Children Act 1867 archived by NZLII (see Watt, 2003, p.7) passed. Repealed by Industrial Schools Act 1882