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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Privacy Act 2020

Preliminary provisions - Interpretation and related matters

8: Meaning of New Zealand agency

You could also call this:

“Defining who counts as a New Zealand agency under privacy law”

In this law, a ‘New Zealand agency’ means someone or something in New Zealand that handles personal information. This can be a person who usually lives in New Zealand, a government agency, a private company, or a court (but only when the court isn’t doing its main job of making legal decisions).

However, some important people and groups are not counted as New Zealand agencies. These include the Queen (or King), the Governor-General, Parliament, Members of Parliament when they’re doing their official work, and some special government groups like the Parliamentary Service Commission.

The law also doesn’t count some other groups as New Zealand agencies. These include people who investigate complaints (called Ombudsmen), special investigations (called inquiries), and news organisations when they’re doing their job of reporting the news.

This definition helps you understand who has to follow the rules in this law about protecting personal information.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS272745.

Topics:
Rights and equality > Privacy
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7: Interpretation, or

“Explaining key terms and concepts used in the Privacy Act 2020”

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“Definition of an overseas agency and who isn't considered one”

Part 1 Preliminary provisions
Interpretation and related matters

8Meaning of New Zealand agency

  1. In this Act, New Zealand agency—

  2. means—
    1. an individual who is ordinarily resident in New Zealand; or
      1. a public sector agency; or
        1. a New Zealand private sector agency; or
          1. a court or tribunal, except in relation to its judicial functions; but
          2. does not include—
            1. the Sovereign; or
              1. the Governor-General or the Administrator of the Government; or
                1. the House of Representatives; or
                  1. a member of Parliament in their official capacity; or
                    1. the Parliamentary Service Commission; or
                      1. the Parliamentary Service, except in relation to personal information about any employee or former employee of the Parliamentary Service in their capacity as an employee; or
                        1. an Ombudsman; or
                          1. an inquiry; or
                            1. a board of inquiry or court of inquiry appointed under any Act to inquire into a specified matter; or
                              1. a news entity, to the extent that it is carrying on news activities.