New Zealand legislation, 1841 to today
Every Act of Parliament, measured
How much law New Zealand makes, how long it lasts, how it is written and who gets to change it, read from the full text of 17,497 Acts, 1,908 Bills and 21,225 pieces of secondary legislation.
Six ways into the statute book
Each chapter answers a handful of questions with interactive charts. Start anywhere.
Volume
How much law Parliament makes, and how big it has grown.
- How many Acts does Parliament pass a year?
- Are new Acts getting longer?
- Which towns got Acts of their own?
Collecting the data for this chapter…
6 charts 02Life cycle
How laws are born, amended, switched on and repealed.
- How long does a law usually last?
- What is the oldest law still in force?
- Which Acts were passed but never started?
The oldest law still in force is the Statutes of Westminster, The First (1275)
7 charts 03Process
What happens to Bills between introduction and Royal assent.
- How many Bills actually become law?
- How much do select committees rewrite?
- Which Bills skip the committee altogether?
Collecting the data for this chapter…
9 charts 04Power
Who really makes the rules: Parliament, Ministers or agencies.
- How often can regulations override an Act?
- How much law is made outside Parliament?
- Who administers the most law?
Collecting the data for this chapter…
9 charts 05Drafting
How the words of the law have changed over 185 years.
- When did "must" replace "shall"?
- Are Acts easier to read than they were?
- When does the Treaty first appear in an Act?
Collecting the data for this chapter…
5 charts 06Substance
What the law actually does: penalties, offences and connections.
- Have fines kept up with inflation?
- Which Act is the hub of the statute book?
- Are instant-fee offences on the rise?
Collecting the data for this chapter…
4 chartsBeyond the text
Three questions need data that is not in the legislation itself. Each could be added by joining another public source.
Bill of Rights reports
How often the Attorney-General reports a Bill as inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act, and whether it passes anyway. Needs the section 7 reports published by the Ministry of Justice.
Parties and electorates
Which parties' members introduce Bills and how they fare. Needs Parliament's member records to match names on each Bill to a party at the time.
Votes
How each party voted at each reading. Needs Hansard's recorded votes, matched to each Bill's stages.