Section One: The Constitution

Introduction

The word 'constitution' in the legal context has a wide range of definitions. In simple terms it refers to the ways in which the law is determined and administered in a given country and how power is exercised. Because New Zealand does not have a written constitution, its constitutional arrangements attract a great deal of academic attention. For our purposes in this course it is enough to read some background so that you get a feel for the whole context in which Justices play a part.

Reading

• Judicial JP Manual chapter 1, parts 1 and 2
• NZ Legal System chapters 3, 4 and 5