Education in the community
Whaowhia te kete maatauranga
Fill your basket of knowledge
— Whakatauki (Maaori proverb)
Legal Education
customised for your group
Our customised seminars offer a range of practical sessions with the aim to support the kaupapa of groups and organisations that serve our communities.
These groups and organisations cover an enormous breadth of work, and face the pressure of understanding and applying the ins and outs of the law within their domains. For example we may translate practical knowledge around obligations under privacy law or, the Family Court process or, tenancy laws or, protection of personal rights and property.
The link below contains a summary of the topics commonly requested. For a topic that is not on the list, please contact us to see if we can accommodate your request.
Popular legal education topics
Consumer Law
This seminar will look at your rights as a consumer and all the Acts which apply to it. This includes retail and online shopping, private sales, buying on credit and layby and door to door sales.
This session also covers what to do when errors are made, who pays them, refunding a purchsase and more.
Consumer Credit Contracts and your Rights (Motor Vehicles – Hire Purchase /PPSR/ Repossession)
This seminar will explore what the Credit Contracts Act is and what it applies to. We will identify things that people need to be aware of under this Act and what your rights are including disclosure, interest and hardship.
Credit Contracts and your Rights: Unconscionable Bargain
This is a two part seminar. Part 1 focuses on the equitable doctrine of unconscionable bargain, where an unfair advantage is taken of people who are experience poverty, don't know their rights or for some other reason are in need of special protection. The seminar will examine when the doctrine applies, to offer protection to a contracting party who labours under a special disadvantage which the other party is able to exploit. The seminar will examine case law where courts have found the circumstances to warrant this protection and have held contracts to be void as a consequence.
Part 2 of this seminar looks at the options a person has when they already find themselves in a situation of debt. We will look in-depth at No Asset Procedures, Bankruptcy and Summary Installment Orders and the implications which each of these carry.
Insurance
This seminar will look at how insurance law works and answer questions such as: What do you need to disclose to an insurance company? What happens if you don’t disclose something? Are you covered for your personal liability? What is the role of negligence in insurance claims? Along with case examples.
Human Rights in New Zealand
This seminar will focus on the origins of human rights and the eventual emergence of the modern concept of Human Rights after World War II; the enactment of the International Bill of Rights and other specialist international instruments designed to protect fundamental human rights universally; The history behind and the enactment of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and the Human Rights Act; and other relevant legislation. The seminar will also focus on the effectiveness of New Zealand human rights law and the strength of checks on the exercise of public power.
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi has been called the founding instrument of New Zealand and has endured as the nation's founding document. This seminar discusses the basic history of the Treaty of Waitangi and some of the laws which have evolved from the 1840 signing. It also provides further knowledge and understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and what it means today.
Traffic / Police and your Rights
New Zealanders are high road users. It is very important to know and understand information about the penalties and laws around traffic issues particularly how to interact with the Police and the basic traffic laws. This seminar will cover Infringements to driving with excess breath alcohol, vehicle confiscations/impoundments and obligations as drivers and more.
Victims’ Rights
This seminar will focus on the role of Victim’s Advisers at the court, the Victims Charter which sets out the standard of service you can expect from government agencies, what information you should receive in regard to court action being taken against the accused person, victim impact statements and the Victims Rights Act.
Consumer Credit Contracts: The CCCF Act and hardship Provisions
This seminar will explore what the Credit Contracts Act is and what it applies to. This includes Lender Responsibility, Enforcement, Penalties, Repossession and Disclosure.
For example: A Lender must make reasonable enquiries with a borrower (and guarantor if there is one) to ensure the loan will meet their needs and doesn’t cause substantial hardship i.e. the borrower (and guarantor if there is one) will be able to make payments under the loan. This must be done before the loan is entered into and before any guarantee is taken. The Commerce Commission states on their website: “A lender needs to check that it is likely that you can afford to make repayments without undue difficulty while paying for necessities and other financial commitments. Your lender also needs to check that you can do this without having to sell assets that you did not intend to dispose of. Necessities might include accommodation, food, power, telephone, transport and required medical expenses. Other financial commitments might include repayments on existing debts or commitments like child support payments”.
Employment Law
This seminar will look at your rights as an employee; different types of Employment (fixed term / casual / permanent); employers and employees; employment agreements, minimum entitlements and your rights and responsibilities as an employee.
Employment Problems & Process
This seminar will cover what to do when there are problems at work, for example: personal grievances (grounds and process); termination scenarios (medical incapacity, misconduct, performance, frustrated contracts, and redundancy), mediations; the Employment Relations Authority; Labour Inspectors and Parental leave complaints.
Immigration
This seminar will cover how the system works and what is available to Migrants, including New Zealand Visas - visas to visit, work, study and live in New Zealand. Also covered are appealing Immigration New Zealand decisions and being in New Zealand unlawfully (Section 61 requests, IPT for deportation).
Tenancy Law
The tenancy seminar explores the relationship between landlord and tenant under the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act. Also included are Tenancy Agreements, Liability, Types of Tenancy, Bond, Rent, Inspections, Quiet Enjoyment, Landlord's Right of Entry, Ending a Tenancy Early, Discrimination, Tenancy Tribunal, the rights and obligations of the Landlord and the Tenant as well as what to do if you encounter problems.
Privacy Law
This seminar looks at the Privacy Act 1993 that promotes and protects your individual privacy. We look at data protection, the 12 privacy principles (1 being the Purpose of Collection), codes of practice in Health and Telecommunication and Credit Information.
Wills & Powers Of Attorney
This is a two-part seminar which examines Powers of Attorney initially, and then Wills. The seminar examines the purposes of a Power of Attorney; the different types of Power of Attorney; appointment of Attorneys; responsibilities & Powers; protection; mental capacity; the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988; execution of documents; how to replace, revoke or vary and what happens when there is no Power of Attorney in place.The second part of the seminar focuses on the purpose of a will; who can make a will; the contents of a will; Living wills; execution of wills; changing, revoking or reviving wills; challenges to wills; distribution and what happen upon intestacy.
