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New Zealand law explained for everyone

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Parliament Bill

Parliamentary privilege - Parliamentary privilege: purpose, content, status, and recognition

16: Status and recognition of parliamentary privilege

You could also call this:

"Special Rights for Members of Parliament"

Illustration for Parliament Bill

You will have rights and protections as part of New Zealand's laws if you are a member of the House of Representatives. You will have special privileges, immunities, and powers that courts must recognise. Courts must accept these rights when making decisions. You can use copies of the Journals of the House of Commons as evidence in court. The court will accept these copies without needing extra proof. This means you can show the journals to support your case. The rules about these privileges apply to all courts and people making judicial decisions. They must take notice of these special rights and protections. This is part of New Zealand's laws and applies to everyone.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS804141.

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Government and voting > Government departmentsCrime and justice > Courts and legal help
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15: Content of privileges, immunities, and powers of House of Representatives, or

"What special rights and powers the House of Representatives has"

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Part 2Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege: purpose, content, status, and recognition

16Status and recognition of parliamentary privilege

  1. The privileges, immunities, and powers exercisable by the House of Representatives, its committees, and its members are part of the laws of New Zealand.

  2. All courts and all persons acting judicially must take judicial notice of those privileges, immunities, and powers.

  3. Subsection (4) applies to any inquiry concerning those privileges, immunities, and powers by a court, any person acting judicially, or any other person.

  4. The court or person must admit a copy of the Journals of the House of Commons that appears to be printed or published by order of the House of Commons as evidence of those journals without requiring any further proof that the copy was printed or published by that order.