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Inquiries Act 2013

Establishment and membership of inquiry

6: Types of inquiry

You could also call this:

"There are three main kinds of inquiry: Royal commissions, public inquiries, and government inquiries."

Illustration for Inquiries Act 2013

This Act applies to different kinds of inquiry. You will find three main types: Royal commissions, public inquiries, and government inquiries. Royal commissions are like public inquiries and are established by the Governor-General.

When the Governor-General thinks something is important, you might see a public inquiry happening. The Governor-General can start a public inquiry by making an Order in Council to look into and report on important matters.

Ministers can also start an inquiry, which is called a government inquiry, to look into important matters by putting a notice in the Gazette. If the Governor-General makes an Order in Council, it is considered secondary legislation, which has rules about how it is published, as explained in Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM1566136.

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Part 2Establishment and membership of inquiry

6Types of inquiry

  1. This Act applies to the following kinds of inquiry:

  2. Royal commissions established under the authority of the Letters Patent constituting the office of the Governor-General, and this Act applies to Royal commissions as if they were public inquiries:
    1. public inquiries, which are established in accordance with subsection (2):
      1. government inquiries, which are established in accordance with subsection (3).

        1. The Governor-General may, by Order in Council, establish a public inquiry for the purpose of inquiring into, and reporting on, any matter of public importance.

        2. One or more Ministers may, by notice in the Gazette, establish a government inquiry for the purpose of inquiring into, and reporting on, any matter of public importance.

        3. An order under subsection (2) is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

        Notes
        • Section 6(4): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).