Information and Education
The Agency provides and funds legal information and law-related education to help people access justice.
Online information
Publications
Law-related Education Kits
Treaty of Waitangi DVD
Online information
LawAccess
The Agency maintains this searchable online catalogue of law-related resources. Over 150 organisations currently list their resources on LawAccess. Resources include information sheets, booklets, videos, freephone numbers and websites. LawAccess also has a glossary of legal terms and contact details for community law centres
Publications
Click on the title of the publications below to order copies.
A Guide to Legal Aid and other Legal Assistance
This booklet gives an overview of the legal aid system.
Click here for the online version in English. Other languages are also available in pdf format as follows:
Maori (pdf 222kb), Chinese (pdf 525kb), Samoan (pdf 238kb), Tongan (pdf 238kb)
Information about Criminal Legal Aid
A pamphlet about how to apply for Criminal legal aid. View as follows:
English (pdf 176kb), Maori (pdf 83kb), Chinese (pdf 247kb), Samoan (pdf 99kb), Tongan (pdf 105kb)
Information about Civil / Family Legal Aid
A pamphlet about how to apply for Civil / Family legal aid. View as follows:
English (pdf 172kb), Maori (pdf 82kb), Chinese (pdf 240kb), Samoan (pdf 108kb), Tongan (pdf 106kb)
Information about legal aid for Protection Orders
A pamphlet about how to apply for legal aid for a Protection Order. View as follows:
English (pdf 95 kb), Maori (pdf 92kb), Chinese (pdf 278kb), Samoan (pdf 108kb), Tongan (pdf 114kb)
Flyer and A2 poster explaining the duty solicitor scheme. View as follows:
English (pdf 85kb), Maori (pdf 78kb), Chinese (pdf 154kb), Samoan (pdf 88kb), Tongan (pdf 88kb)
Can You Get a Legal Aid Lawyer?
Flyer and A2 poster explaining how to get a legal aid lawyer. View flyer as follows:
English (pdf 86 kb), Maori (pdf 78kb), Chinese (pdf 162kb), Samoan (pdf 90kb), Tongan (pdf 91kb)
Law-related Education Kits
These kits are for community service providers and professionals who wish to present training sessions or information on specific areas of law. The purchase price includes postage within New Zealand and any updates or amendments to the resource. A reduced price is available for not-for-profit organisations.
Each kit includes:
- tips for delivering to a range of audiences
- session plan
- PowerPoint presentation on disk
- reference materials, resources, contacts for information and support
The Law and Mental Health
This resource explains the Mental Health Act and six other areas of law that can have an impact on a person experiencing mental illness.
Contact: Legal Services Agency, PO Box 5333, Wellington, phone 04 495 5910, fax 04 495 5911 or email info@lsa.govt.nz
Cost $60.00 (incl GST)
Accident Compensation
This resource refers to the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2000.
Contact: Dispute Resolution Services, PO Box 2272, Wellington, phone 04 918 4910, fax 04 918 4901, or email: lsa@drsl.co.nz:
Cost $78.75 (incl GST)
Domestic Violence and Harassment
This resource refers to the Domestic Violence Act 1995 and the Harassment Act 1997.
Contact: National Collection of Independent Women's Refuges Inc., PO Box 11-074, Wellington, phone 04 802 5078, fax 04 802 5079, or email: info@refuge.org.nz
Cost: $65.00 (incl GST)
Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA)
This resource refers to the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988.
Contact: Age Concern New Zealand, PO Box 10-688, Wellington, phone 04 801 9338, fax 04 801 9336, or email: orders@ageconcern.org.nz
Cost: $67.50 (incl GST)
Immigration
This resource refers to the Immigration Act 1987.
Contact: Auckland Regional Migrant Services, PO Box 27 367, Mt Roskill, Auckland, phone 09 625 2440, fax 625 2445, or email: reception@arms-mrc.org.nz
Cost: $78.75 (incl GST)
Legal Aid and other Legal Assistance
This resource explains legal aid, police detention legal assistance and duty solicitor schemes.
Contact: Legal Services Agency, PO Box 5333, Wellington, phone 04 495 5910, fax 04 495 5911, or email: info@lsa.govt.nz
Cost: $45.00 (incl GST)
Treaty of Waitangi DVD
The Treaty of Waitangi
“Journeys: Nga Tapuae” promotes understanding of Treaty of Waitangi legal issues. The DVD is formed of three parts. Areas of learning covered in the DVD series are the:
- significance of the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of New Zealand, its interpretation over time, and application to current systems, policies and events
- effects of colonisation on Maori and Pakeha
- tangata whenua perspectives on contemporary systems, policies and events
- concepts of partnership, land ownership, responsibility, protection, sovereignty and social justice.
There is an accompanying teacher’s guide tailored to the year 9 and 10 social studies curriculum, although the material may be adapted for other school levels and subjects. The resources were first produced for the Legal Services Board in 1999. The DVD was updated in June 2007.
To order
Journeys: Nga Tapuae DVD (102 minutes)
Price: $16.90 to collect or $21.90 incl postage
Journeys: Nga Tapuae teacher’s guide (A4, 72 pp).
Price: Free
Both resources can be ordered from the Legal Services Agency, phone 04 495 5910, or email info@lsa.govt.nz
Part 1 - Nga Tohu: Signatures (51 minutes)
Key points in this story are:
- how and why people seek to gain and maintain social justice and human rights
- why particular places and environments are significant for people
- factors that influence people’s access to resources, goods and services.
The story is set in a fictional New Zealand community called Onehora and alternates between 1839/40 and the present day. The 1839/40 sequences look at how and why the Treaty was signed, and what this meant to both Crown and Maori. The present day story looks at the Treaty’s current legal status in New Zealand and how a land claim can arise.
Part 2 - Voices of the Treaty: Te Reo o Te Tiriti Mai Ra Ano (30 minutes)
Key points in this story are the:
- development of Treaty-related law
- Sealord deal
- Tainui and Ngai Tahu settlements
- issues around the claim for broadcasting assets, resource management legislation, and transfer of land to State Owned Enterprises.
Archival film and television footage is combined with comment from the fictional characters introduced in Nga Tohu: Signatures (the first of the series).
Part 3 - Te Raukura: The North Taranaki Claim (21 minutes)
This is a documentary examining the Treaty settlement process relating to the north Taranaki claim. It shows the disputed Taranaki areas as they were in the 19th century and as they appear in 1999. The opposition of the north Taranaki tribes to surveying and settler farming led to a bleak episode in New Zealand’s history when the people of Parihaka and surrounding districts were driven from their homes and lands.
Iwi and Crown negotiators (up to August 1999) discuss the issues, their concerns, feelings, and hopes for a fair outcome. The outcome of negotiations up to 2007 is summarised in text.
