New Zealand Legal Information Institute:

The ultimate access to justice project

*Barbara Relph

If you are looking for a simple way to make a real contribution to access to justice, look no further. The New Zealand Legal Information Institute (NZLII) is seeking support from the profession to ensure the invaluable service they provide can be sustained and survive long into the future. Their needs are modest, but without funding they risk extinction.

NZLII provides a free legal information database to any and all who need access to the law. Primary funding comes from the New Zealand Law Council and Otago University which has provided the administrative structure for the database since 2004. It’s no secret that universities across New Zealand face expenditure cuts and Otago University is no exception, potentially leaving NZLII exposed financially.

If NZLII were to founder, its Australasian counterpart AustLII would become the only free source of New Zealand legal data. The problem is that the name doesn’t hint at New Zealand, and so those seeking the information are highly unlikely to find it.

The impressive 213 databases provided by NZLII contain over 510,000 documents and covers all the major courts and tribunals, plus many niche databases not available elsewhere. Fulfilling hundreds of millions of requests in the nearly 18 years it has been part of New Zealand’s legal landscape, in 2021 alone the database had over 31.5 million interactions. In two years the New Zealand Gazette has had 5 million interactions, and the NZ Law Style Guide 120,000 interactions since March 2022.

The Legal Information Institute network internationally is committed to the Free Access to Law Movement (FALM). This means free and unmonitored, so it is impossible to accurately identify who the users are, but feedback suggests lawyers and law firms, students, the police, government departments, court reporters and journalists, and of course members of the public who find themselves in a dispute and needing to know the law.

Alongside the frequently accessed Acts as Enacted, Historical Bills and databases which are not commercially viable for publishers to host, such as the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal and the Student Allowance Appeal Authority, much of the information on NZLII mirrors that available on commercial databases, except for decisions with suppression orders. Of course, a free service cannot possibly compete for form or functionality, but for practicing lawyers not in a position to pay for one of these services, NZLII is an excellent resource.

To ensure NZLII’s stability, regular funding is required – not just to plug any gap should Otago University be unable to continue its support, but to grow and develop its offering. Renewing the front face of the NZLII website would be a start. The service is currently updated and managed by Otago University Library workhorse and access to justice enthusiast, Judi Eathorne-Gould, who is largely unpaid. Judi is full of new ideas for the database and is open to suggestions for new information, particularly guides such as the ACC guidebook.

The Canadian equivalent, CANLII, is funded primarily from within the profession. AustLII also relies on contributions from the profession. It seems somewhat obvious that the profession in New Zealand would help NZLII improve access to justice in this country.

Judi is under pressure to demonstrate NZLII is financially stable. To do that she needs commitment in the form pledges to donate into the future. To contribute any amount – either a one off donation or a regular monthly pledge – simply click the link to complete the online form below or contact Judi on nzlii@otago.ac.nz. NZLII will be eternally grateful for your support. All donations are tax deductible. To contribute, follow this link: https://alumni.otago.ac.nz/donate/NZLII

* Barbara Relph is a freelance writer and proof-reader –www.barbararelph.com