Parliamentary Privilege in Aotearoa New Zealand
Found a better price? Request a price match
Parliamentary Privilege in Aotearoa New Zealand
Latest News
Celebrating Roald Dahl and the team's favourite stories
Roald Dahl day takes place on September 13th and the Book Hero team is reflecting...
Meet Serena: The Month I Finally Started Reading Again
After months of being stuck in a reading slump, Serena set herself one simple goal...
I'm spending book money on puzzles (and it's all Amelia's fault)
Lizzy is sharing her current plight, struggling with having money left over for books when...
New Rolife Just Arrived π
Our Rolife range just got even bigger! Discover heaps of new DIY miniature houses, book...
Everyone is reading Dungeon Crawler Carl - And you should too!
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the latest series that everyone has been reading and talking about....
See morePublished ahead of the 2026 NZ General Election, this book by Sir Geoffrey Palmer invites public scrutiny of how Parliament wields its powers.
Published ahead of the 2026 NZ General Election, this book by Sir Geoffrey Palmer invites public scrutiny of how Parliament wields its powers.
Parliamentary privilege is 'the oil of the democratic machine'. It
can be defined as the special legal powers that allow Parliament to
regulate its affairs - and is a curious mix of history, parliamentary
practice, law and politics. 'However, it is also viscous and volatile,'
writes Palmer, 'and should not be left to sit too long without change.'
This incisive book examines how parliamentary privilege operates in
New Zealand, and where change is needed. Palmer traces its evolution and
shows how reform has lagged behind that of comparable democracies such
as Canada.
With his characteristic clarity and frankness, Palmer calls for greater transparency, fairness and consistency in how Parliament exercises its powers. Such changes are essential if we are to protect individual rights and democratic integrity.
Lists
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781776923168
Publisher: Te Herenga Waka University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 13 February 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Te Herenga Waka University Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 12.0mm
Width: 148.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 128
About the Author
Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer KC is a Distinguished Fellow at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, Faculty of Law, and a Global affiliated professor at the University of Iowa, College of Law. In Parliament he held the offices of Attorney-General, Minister of Justice, Leader of the House, Minister for the Environment, Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister. Since leaving politics in 1990 he has been a foundation partner of a law firm, President of the Law Commission, chair of the Legislation Design Committee (2006-2008), New Zealand's Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, and chair of the Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident for the United Nations in New York, amongst many other distinguished appointments. His previous book is the bestseller How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand (2025).
Also by Geoffrey Palmer
View allMore from Education & Reference
View allWhy buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
