Parliament Act 2025

Parliamentary privilege

9: Outline of this Part

You could also call this:

"About Parliamentary Privilege: What it Means and How it Works"

This Part of the Parliament Act 2025 is about parliamentary privilege. You will learn what parliamentary privilege is and how it works. It is divided into different sections, including Subpart 1, Subpart 2, Subpart 3, Subpart 4, and Subpart 5. You can find more information about the Bill of Rights 1688 which is related to this Part. The different sections cover things like what parliamentary privilege means, how it is used, and what protections it gives to people in Parliament.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS804096.

This page was last updated on 25 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

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8: Act binds the Crown, or

"The law applies to everyone, including the government."

10: Purposes of this Part, or

"This part of the law explains what Parliament can and can't do."

Part 2Parliamentary privilege

9Outline of this Part

This Part sets out provisions concerning parliamentary privilege.
Subpart 1 sets out the purposes of this Part, the manner in which it is to be interpreted generally, and specific interpretation provisions.
Subpart 2 contains the provisions relating to the purpose, content, and status of parliamentary privilege.
Subpart 3 contains provisions relating to the scope of the prohibition imposed by Article 9 of the Bill of Rights 1688 on the impeaching or questioning of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament, including specific prohibitions and exceptions.
Subpart 4 describes certain legal protections that apply to the communication of proceedings in Parliament.
Subpart 5 contains a number of miscellaneous provisions relating to parliamentary privilege, including provisions relating to contempt of Parliament, the expulsion of members, taking evidence from witnesses, and the exemption of members (including the Speaker) and officers of the House from an obligation to attend a court or tribunal.