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Regulation Tracker

AI rules for legal practice in New Zealand

As of 2026-09-04, 3 official documents govern AI use by lawyers, judges or litigants in New Zealand. 1 requires disclosure or certification of AI use, 2 impose an explicit verification duty, and 0 prohibit some use outright. The incident tracker records 1 incident in this jurisdiction.

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NZ Law Society

Generative AI guidance for lawyers

Guidance from the New Zealand Law Society, updated 24 February 2026, on how the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act rules apply to generative AI. Lawyers must verify all output, protect privacy and privilege when entering information, disclose AI use to clients where appropriate, and review whether fees remain reasonable when AI reduces the time spent.

Guidance · Verification duty · Confidentiality · Disclosure · Competence

2026-02-24In force

Courts of New Zealand

Guidelines for use of generative artificial intelligence in Courts and Tribunals

Three sets of guidelines issued by the Chief Justice of New Zealand on 7 December 2023 for judges, lawyers and non-lawyers using generative AI in courts and tribunals. Existing duties continue to apply, users must verify all AI output and protect confidential information, and there is no mandatory disclosure of AI use. The guidelines remain unchanged as of September 2026.

Guidance · Verification duty · Confidentiality · Permissive

2023-12-07In force

NZ Privacy Commissioner

Artificial Intelligence and the Information Privacy Principles

The New Zealand Privacy Commissioner's expectations for agencies using generative AI under the Privacy Act 2020, published 21 September 2023 with a companion page on generative AI. The Office approves or endorses no AI technology or provider and expects a privacy assessment before an agency uses an AI tool on personal information.

Guidance · Confidentiality · Client consent · Competence

2023-09-21In force

Descriptive reference only: this page records what each rule requires. Missing a document? Tell us.