New Zealand Human Rights Act
Encyclopedia
The Human Rights Act 1993 is an Act
of the Parliament
of New Zealand
which deals with discrimination
. It was a consolidation and amendment of the Race Relations Act 1971 and the Human Rights Commission Act 1977. It passed into law 1 February 1994. The Act governs the work of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission
.
It also outlawed discrimination on a wide variety of grounds, including:
There are a significant number of caveats, including "genuine occupational qualification," "domestic employment in a private household," "to preserve reasonable standards of privacy," "national security" and "organised religion."
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
which deals with discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
. It was a consolidation and amendment of the Race Relations Act 1971 and the Human Rights Commission Act 1977. It passed into law 1 February 1994. The Act governs the work of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission
New Zealand Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution in New Zealand. It is funded through the Ministry of Justice, but operates independently of the New Zealand Government...
.
It also outlawed discrimination on a wide variety of grounds, including:
- Sex (including pregnancy and childbirth)
- Marital status
- Religious belief
- Ethical belief
- Colour
- Race
- Ethnic or national origins
- Disability
- Age
- Political opinion
- Employment status
- Family status
- Sexual orientation
There are a significant number of caveats, including "genuine occupational qualification," "domestic employment in a private household," "to preserve reasonable standards of privacy," "national security" and "organised religion."
See also
- New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
- LGBT rights in New Zealand
- Human Rights ActHuman Rights ActA human rights act is a statute that sets out individual rights and freedoms under the law. Many jurisdictions have bills of rights enshrined into law and called the "Human Rights Act". This naming convention is commonly used in Commonwealth nations...