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Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

Restrictions on provision of legal services and conveyancing services - Legal services

27: Exceptions to sections 21, 22, 24, and 26

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"When you don't need a lawyer to help with court cases or documents"

Illustration for Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

You can represent yourself in court. You can also appear as an advocate or representative in court if the law or the court allows it. You can give advice or help with documents if you are allowed to appear as an advocate or representative. You can get advice or help with documents from someone who works at a community law centre. They can help you with your court case. You can fill in a court form for someone else if it is a standard form and no one is charging for the service. The form must be one that can be completed by someone who is not a lawyer. Government officers and employees can do their jobs and carry out their duties without breaking the law. Conveyancing practitioners can provide conveyancing services. You can find more information about the laws mentioned in section 21, 22, 24, and 26 by following these links.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM365736.

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Crime and justice > Courts and legal help
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26: Drafting court documents, or

"Rules for writing court documents, who can do it and when"

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28: Proceedings in respect of offences against any provision of sections 21 to 24, or

"What happens if you break the rules in sections 21 to 24 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act"

Part 2Restrictions on provision of legal services and conveyancing services
Legal services

27Exceptions to sections 21, 22, 24, and 26

  1. Sections 21, 22, 24, and 26 do not prevent—

  2. any person from representing himself or herself in proceedings before any court or tribunal; or
    1. any person from appearing as an advocate, or representing any other person before any court or tribunal if the appearance or representation is allowed or required—
      1. by any legislation; or
        1. by the court or tribunal; or
        2. any person who may, in accordance with paragraph (b), appear in any proceedings as an advocate or representative from—
          1. giving advice in relation to those proceedings; or
            1. giving assistance in drafting, settling, or revising documents for filing in those proceedings.

            2. Sections 21, 24, and 26 do not prevent any person who works in a community law centre or who is employed by a community law centre from giving to a person who is or intends to be a litigant in person in any proceedings—

            3. advice in relation to those proceedings; or
              1. assistance in drafting, settling, or revising documents for filing in those proceedings.

                1. A person does not commit an offence against any provision of sections 21, 22, 24, and 26 by reason only of filling in, on behalf of any other person, a printed form required for the purposes of any proceedings before any court or tribunal if—

                2. the printed form is either—
                  1. a form prescribed for the purpose of the proceedings; or
                    1. a form prepared by a person who, at the time when it was prepared, was an authorised person within the meaning of section 26(2); and
                    2. it is reasonable to expect that the form could be properly completed by persons who were not authorised persons within the meaning of section 26(2); and
                      1. no charge is made, directly or indirectly, for the filling in of the form or any service in relation to the filling in of the form.

                        1. Sections 24 and 26 do not prevent a statutory officer or Crown organisation, or any employee of a statutory officer or Crown organisation,—

                        2. from discharging any of his, her, or its duties, or exercising any of his, her, or its powers, under any enactment; or
                          1. from doing any thing that is intended to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of the functions conferred on the statutory officer or Crown organisation by any enactment.

                            1. Section 24 does not prevent a conveyancing practitioner from providing conveyancing services.

                            Notes
                            • Section 27(1)(b)(i): amended, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).