Tikanga delayed

A requirement that learning tikanga be a compulsory part of a law degree has been upheld by Parliament's regulatory review committee.

- David Harvey

However, the committee has recommended some changes to the way the requirement is applied by law schools.

The committee's inquiry was prompted by a complaint laid a year ago by Gary Judd KC about the Council of Legal Education requirement, which took effect in January last year. As this column reported (June 8, 2024), Judd maintained tikanga lacked some of the essential attributes of law and was more a collection of beliefs.

The Council of Legal Education's rulemaking powers are contained in the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006. The regulations review committee ensures bodies that have power to set rules and regulations - referred to as secondary legislation - with which the public must comply have been made fairly and are used consistently.