New Zealand is a sovereign island located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Australia. There are a North and South land mass, and 600 smaller islands. Wellington is the capital city and Auckland is the most populous.  Due to the remote location of the island country it was one of the last regions settled by humans, and early in its history developed a diversified biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life.

Polynesians first settled the island between 1250 and 1300;  Abel Tasman was the first European (Dutch) explorer to settle on the island in 1642. New Zealand became a colony with the British Empire in 1841, and in 1907 became a dominion. Although the British monarch remains head of state, New Zealand became independent in 1947.

Today New Zealand is considered a developed country, ranking highly in quality of life, education, healthcare, and economic freedom. The country maintains strong foreign affairs and international relations; it is a member of the United Nations, ANZUS Organization, Commonwealth of Nations, and other groups.

New Zealand has an advanced market economy ranking 13th on the Human Development Index in 2016. The high-income economy is marked by a average nominal GDP of over $36,000 USD. Executive industries have been major economic sectors in the country. The country is also heavily reliant on trade and infrastructure industries, as major contributors to its economy.

New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy, and the House of Representatives is the elected legislature.  Executive power is held by ministers, who are sworn into the Executive Council and are accountable to the legislature.  Senior ministers make up the Cabinet, which is a collective decision-making body.  The Cabinet is led by the Prime Minister.

New Zealand Court & Legal System

New Zealand has a three-tiered court system, first established in 1841.  The three levels are the Supreme Court, District Court and Magistrates Court.  The New Zealand system had gone through a variety of permutations with courts being established then going away, but currently the Supreme Court of New Zealand is a court of last resort.

Other Courts were established to handle situations unique to New Zealand.  For example, a Native Land Court was established to define the land rights and translate Maori custom to a system recognizable under European Law.  This court was widely criticized for its unfair treatment of the Maori people, and its failure to understand basic concepts of Maori culture, and has been reformed significantly since its inception in 1865.

Visitors of the National Law Review, can read about the latest content related to New Zealand. Areas and topics of coverage include foreign affairs, patent, labor laws, cybersecurity and personal data news, employment news, nanotechnology, and immigration coverage, among other topics. Visitors will continually find the latest news stories, as they are reported on the National Law Review, providing an in-depth and up to date legal analysis of the region and international affairs.