The purpose of this Act is to help make sure people follow the law and to investigate and prosecute offences in a way that respects human rights values. You can think of human rights values as the basic rights and freedoms that everyone should have. This Act aims to do this by modernising the law of search, seizure, and surveillance to take into account new technologies.

This Act also provides rules that recognise the importance of the rights and entitlements affirmed in other laws, including the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, the Privacy Act 2020, and the Evidence Act 2006. These laws are important because they help protect your rights and freedoms.

The Act also aims to ensure that investigative tools are effective and adequate for law enforcement needs, which means giving the police and other law enforcement agencies the tools they need to do their job. This is done in a way that is consistent with human rights values and the laws that protect your rights, such as the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, the Privacy Act 2020, and the Evidence Act 2006.