New Zealand Legislation: Acts

24 District Council may exempt person from membership on conscientious grounds

• (1) In this section the expression conscientious belief means a conscientious belief honestly, sincerely, and personally held, whether or not the grounds of the belief are of a religious character, and whether or not the belief is held as part of the doctrine of a religion, religious denomination, or sect.

  (2) If any person objects on the grounds of conscientious belief to being a member of a District Law Society, he may apply to the District Council for exemption from membership of the society.

  (3) If, after giving the applicant a reasonable opportunity to be heard or to make representations, the District Council is satisfied that the applicant's conscientious belief is genuine, it may exempt him from membership of the society subject to such conditions, whether as to the observance of any of the society's rules or otherwise, as the District Council thinks fit; and, while any such exemption continues and all conditions governing it are complied with, the person to whom it is granted shall not be a member of the District Law Society.

  (4) The granting of any such exemption shall not relieve the person exempted from—

  • (a) Liability to pay any levy under this Part or Part 9 or Part 10 of this Act; or

  • (b) Liability to any penalty for a breach of the rules of the society of which he would, but for the exemption, be a member, so far as those rules are not excluded by the conditions of the exemption; and any such rules not so excluded shall apply to him as if he were a member.

  (5) Nothing in this section shall affect Part 7 of this Act (which relates to discipline), and that Part shall apply to the exempted person as if he were a member of the District Law Society.

  Compare: 1955 No 101 s 105(1)