Skip to main content

Secondary Legislation Access Standards—overview

Designed to promote compliance with agencies’ legal obligations to publish secondary legislation and provide guidance on how to achieve best practice.

The PCO has issued Secondary Legislation Access Standards, endorsed by the Public Service Commissioner as leader of the Public Service, the Regulations Review Committee and the Attorney-General.

Read the Secondary Legislation Access Standards online 

Download the Secondary Legislation Access Standards (PDF - 1.18 MB)

Who the Access Standards are for

These Access Standards are for legal and operational teams in administering agencies that draft and publish secondary legislation.

Why have Access Standards

They are designed to promote compliance with agencies’ legal obligations to publish secondary legislation and provide guidance on how to achieve best practice.

Access Standards in brief

Standard

Status

Relates to

1 Agencies must comply with legal requirements for publication, notification, and presentation for the relevant empowering provision

Legal requirement for all secondary legislation

How to find and meet legal requirements

2 Secondary legislation should be published in full on the agency’s website, and be available free of charge

Mandatory if Publication Regulations apply or if grandfathered provision requires website publication; recommended for most empowering provisions

What to publish – and keep publishing

3 Changes to secondary legislation should be easily identifiable, and up-to-date consolidated versions of secondary legislation should be available

Best practice

How to handle amendments and consolidations

4 Secondary legislation should include minimum legislative information

Cabinet expectations

What to include in the instrument itself – at a minimum

5 Secondary legislation should be available in a manner that meets web accessibility standards

Mandatory for public service departments, NZ Defence Force, NZ Police, and the PCO. Recommended for other government agencies

How to make legislation accessible and usable

6 Agency websites should make legislation easy to find and navigate

Best practice

How to make it easy to find and get around


Last updated: 27 November 2024

Back to top