Articles

Articles

May 24, 2026

Right to Know Act – A replacement for the OIA?

Recently we received an intriguing document from an independent researcher, Russell Opland, where he has given up on the prosect of improving the Official Information Act and has written a complete replacement called Te Ture Mana Puna Kōrero – The Right to Know Act. Keep reading

Articles / Submissions

April 21, 2026

Submission: Policing Amendment Bill

The Council strongly objects to the Policing Amendment Bill. This bill removes all limits on Police powers to record people’s activities. This bill enables police to break up any gathering, remove people from any location, and detain people on suspicion that they might return. The bill is yet another example of the government reacting to illegal Police behaviours by making them legal. Keep reading

April 19, 2026

5th May 2026 – Webinar: Rupturing the liberal grammar of ‘critical’ civil disobedience theories

Come and hear 2025 NZCCL VUW Law Essay Prize winner Jessica Ye present her essay Rupturing the liberal grammar of ‘critical’ civil disobedience theories: Decolonial refusal of state recognition and affirmation of alternative lifeworlds. Keep reading

March 22, 2026

Media release: Papers please!

“The majority of New Zealanders should be reeling after the quick succession of announcements by the government this week,” said Thomas Beagle, chair of the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties (NZCCL), in reference to the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill, the Policing Amendment Bill, and Friday’s announcement of the Govt.nz App. Keep reading

March 9, 2026

NZCCL / VUW Law essay prize winner for 2025 announced!

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the NZ Council for Civil Liberties essay prize for 2025 is Jessica Ye for her essay 'Rupturing the liberal grammar of ‘critical’ civil disobedience theories: Decolonial refusal of state recognition and affirmation of alternative lifeworlds'. Keep reading

February 23, 2026

Media release: Move On orders an overreaction

New Zealanders have an inherent right to be in public places. The government’s proposed new ‘move on’ law change is an attempt to remove that right for homeless people whose greatest crime is that they have no money and nowhere to sleep. Keep reading

January 25, 2026

Meeting dates in 2026

Our monthly committee meeting are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Meetings take place between 7.30pm and 9:00pm by … Keep reading “Meeting dates in 2026”

July 25, 2025

Guest post: Serious accuracy issues identified in Foodstuffs facial recognition trial

Guest post from Mary Sagen pointing out concerns with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner's report into the Foodstuffs facial recognition technology trial. Keep reading

May 6, 2025

Media release: We can’t just turn off the internet for those under 16

The Council opposes the Social Media Age-Restricted Users Bill which would ban those under 16 from accessing social media. Keep reading

April 29, 2025

NZCCL / VUW Law essay prize winner announced!

Announcing the winner of the NZ Council for Civil Liberties VUW Law essay prize for 2024, as well as a special prize for a second essay. Keep reading

January 19, 2025

Meeting Dates in 2025

Our monthly committee meeting are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Meetings take place between 6.00pm and 7:30pm via … Keep reading “Meeting Dates in 2025”

December 18, 2024

Privacy Commissioner’s Biometric Code fails to protect New Zealanders

Aotearoa New Zealand should follow the Australian example and ban the remote capture of biometric information. Keep reading

November 21, 2024

Chairperson’s Report 2024

It seems that authoritarianism and fascism are on the rise, with war and the oppression of civilian populations quick to follow. This possibility is exactly one of the reasons why we push back against the excesses of the state. Not only is government power against the individual prone to being misused, but its use reinforces the attitude that force is the answer to everything. Civil liberties and the protections of the NZ Bill of Rights Act are vital to maintaining a proper balance of power between the state and the people. Keep reading

October 24, 2024

Watch the Police/ANPR webinar

Watch James from the Police Tech Assurance team discuss and answer questions about the Police use of automated number plate recognition (ANPR) from our webinar held on October 22nd, 2024. Keep reading

September 5, 2024

Facing up to reality – New Zealand is failing on controlling facial recognition technology

Remote biometric identification is a new class of privacy threat and we're not doing enough to stop it being rolled out across the country. Keep reading

August 16, 2024

Watch the Police and Facial Recognition webinar

Watch Andrew Chen from the Police Tech Assurance team discuss and answer questions about the Police use of facial recognition from our webinar held in July. Keep reading

August 6, 2024

Douglas Ewen 1967 – 2024

Douglas Ewen KC, who died on 4 August, was a long-time member of the Council and served on its Executive Committee. Keep reading

June 26, 2024

Keith Locke 1944 – 2024

Prominent NZCCL member, MP, and activist Keith Locke has died at the age of 80. Keep reading

May 22, 2024

Watch the Physical Privacy in Prison webinar

Watch Anna Smart, the winner of the 2023 NZCCL VUW Law Essay Prize, present their work and answer questions at our webinar held in April. Keep reading

March 24, 2024

What the Royal Commission on Lessons from COVID-19 should consider

The Council has summarised its thoughts on civil liberties and the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are various lessons to be learned that are key to retaining public trust and confidence in times of crisis. Keep reading