The Constitution of New Zealand

Similar to their British cousins, the Constitution of New Zealand is an uncodified constitution and an amalgamation of written and unwritten sources. The New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852 setup New Zealand as a self-governing colony with a parliament, executive council and divided the islands into six provinces. While the provinces were later restructured, subnational governance has a remarkably fluid history in New Zealand.

The Constitution Act 1986 largely replaced the 1852 Act, and severed all legal ties with the United Kingdom. The act also re-established the powers of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. It also severed all legal ties with the United Kingdom.

These documents make up the legal foundation for the country we know as New Zealand. They were heavily influence by the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy, and the Anglo-Saxon political traditions like the Magna Carta, and the Bill of Rights 1687.