Intelligence and Security Act 2017

Oversight of intelligence and security agencies - Intelligence and Security Committee - Continuation of Intelligence and Security Committee

193: Functions of Committee

You could also call this:

"What the Intelligence and Security Committee does to check agencies"

Illustration for Intelligence and Security Act 2017

The Committee has some jobs to do. You can think of these jobs as checking how intelligence and security agencies work. The Committee looks at the policies, how the agencies are run, and how they spend money. They also get to see the agencies' annual reports and do a yearly review of each agency.

The Committee can ask for an inquiry into things like whether an agency is following New Zealand law, including human rights law. They can also ask about certain activities of an agency to make sure they are proper. The Committee can look at other matters that the Prime Minister thinks are important for intelligence or security.

There are some things the Committee cannot do. They cannot look into matters that the Inspector-General is already dealing with. They also cannot look into things that are secret, like how agencies collect information, or complaints that can be resolved under other laws. You can find out more about how this law has changed over time by looking at the Intelligence and Security Act 1986.

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This page was last updated on 3 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6921217.

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192: Intelligence and Security Committee, or

"A group that checks New Zealand's spy agencies"

194: Membership of Committee, or

"Who gets to be on the Intelligence and Security Committee"

Part 6Oversight of intelligence and security agencies
Intelligence and Security Committee: Continuation of Intelligence and Security Committee

193Functions of Committee

The functions of the Committee are—
to examine the policy, administration, and expenditure of each intelligence and security agency:
to receive and consider the annual report of each intelligence and security agency:
to conduct each year, following receipt of the annual report of an intelligence and security agency, an annual review of the agency for the immediately preceding financial year:
to consider any Bill, petition, or other matter in relation to an intelligence and security agency referred to the Committee by the House of Representatives:
to request the Inspector-General to conduct an inquiry into—
1. any matter relating to an intelligence and security agency’s compliance with New Zealand law, including human rights law:
2. the propriety of particular activities of an intelligence and security agency:
to consider any matter (not being a matter relating directly to the activities of an intelligence and security agency) referred to the Committee by the Prime Minister because of that matter’s intelligence or security implications:
to consider and discuss with the Inspector-General his or her annual report.

However, the functions of the Committee do not include—
inquiring into any matter within the jurisdiction of the Inspector-General; or
inquiring into any matter that is operationally sensitive, including any matter that relates to intelligence collection and production methods, or sources of information; or
inquiring into complaints by individuals concerning the activities of an intelligence and security agency that are capable of being resolved under any other enactment.

Compare

1996 No 46 s 6