The New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa is working within the current legislative framework for the regulation of lawyers, but, as the Independent Review identified, there are aspects of the legislation that are overly prescriptive and inefficient.  

In 2023 we responded to the Independent Review recommendations, and looked to the Government to indicate whether substantive reform of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 (Act), would be a legislative priority. The Minister of Justice has signalled that wholesale reform is unlikely to be a priority in the first term of the current Government. 

However, the Law Society is committed to ongoing improvements to the modernise the regulation of lawyers. The Regulatory Reform and Response programme was established by the Law Society to consider how the organisation could progress the recommendations made by the Independent Review panel without wholesale legislative reform. The work programme is considering changes that can be made to the regulatory system within the Law Society’s control such as registration processes, improvements to the complaints model and governance. 

Milestones up to now have included 

• We anticipate that a Bill before Parliament will be enacted in 2026 which will amend the Act to enable the Lawyers Complaints Service to triage administratively certain types of complaints where no further action is required on specified grounds. This will mean that the current legislative requirement to refer all complaints to a Standards Committee will no longer apply to those triaged complaints. We consulted with the profession on this change in early 2022 and the proposed amendment received strong support. This would enable complaints that don’t merit referral to a Standard Committee to be resolved more quickly, which will confidence in the complaints process. 
• In 2025, we consulted with the profession on further changes to the Act which would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory regime for lawyers.  The objective of the proposed changes was to maintain public confidence in the complaints process and improve consumer protection, create greater flexibility in the regulatory regime, ensure that resource within the regulatory framework is appropriately allocated, and address inconsistencies in the regulatory regime.  We have worked through the feedback received through this consultation process and anticipate releasing a report to the profession and public in 2026.  
• We have conducted an independent operational review of the Lawyers Complaints Service. We are working through the recommendations received from this review now.  
• We have published guidance on the interaction between tikanga Māori and the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008. 
• The Law Society Council passed amendments to its Constitution following consultation with the profession. The amendments, which aim to modernise the Law Society’s governance structure, came into force on 1 July 2025, and include amendments to the Board size and composition (including the introduction of Independent Board members), the tenure of Board members, how the President/Chair is appointed, and the ability to remove Board members. 

The Law Society released its response to the recommendations made in the Independent Review Report in August 2023. After consultation with its Council members and the profession, the Law Society accepted in principle most of the recommendations, including recommendations to establish a new independent regulator and an overhaul of the system for handling complaints about lawyers. The Law Society has provided its response to the Minister of Justice, so that it can be considered for the Government’s legislative agenda. 

Media releaseResponse documentThematic AnalysisTable of recommendations 

1. Establish a new independent regulator to regulate lawyers in Aotearoa New Zealand. 
2. Ensure the independence and effectiveness of the new regulator by institutional arrangements that include: 
3. Incorporate Te Tiriti and regulatory objectives in the new Act and update the fundamental obligations of lawyers, by: 
4. Reform the scope of regulation, by: 
5. Enable the regulator to better protect consumers, support practitioners and assure competence, by: 
6. Reform the system for handling complaints about lawyers and introduce a model in which: 
7. Encourage diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, by: 
8. The Law Society should continue as the national representative body. It should have a single governance layer, with a board comprising 8-10 members, including public members. 

Further reading 

• Independent Regulator proposal accepted in principle 
• Complaints system overhaul supported – further consideration needed 
• Library suggestion not practical 
• Te Tiriti obligation on regulator, not lawyers 

The Independent Review Panel’s report is now available.  
 
The Independent Review Report has recommended legislative and structural change, the establishment of a new independent regulator and an overhaul of the system for handling complaints about lawyers. 

The report was commissioned by the Law Society in 2021 because it had been clear that the complaints process was no longer fit-for-purpose and was not serving the public or the profession well. This had been highlighted in 2018 with reports of sexual harassment within the legal profession.  
 
The Law Society also wanted to take the opportunity to shift to a more modern regulatory environment given the changes that have taken place in New Zealand and internationally since the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act was introduced in 2006.    

The Law Society needed to ensure that the legal profession has a strong representative voice that is responsive to the needs of the profession and the public. 

Executive summary (English)Executive summary (Te reo Māori) 

Read the full reportVisit the Independent Review website 

On 28 March and 3 April the Independent Review Panel held livestream sessions to give the profession a chance to hear the main recommendations and ask questions about the report.  

A recording of the 3 April session is available to watch: https://youtu.be/jIAIjXhgero 

Previous releases 

Independent Review Report received by Law Society BoardIndependent Review – Once-in-a-generation ReviewNew Zealand Law Society Welcomes Independent Review Discussion Document Independent Review Panel appointedConsultation on Terms of ReferenceSteering Group appointedIndependent Review announced