(1) The principal function of the Council shall be to prepare, publish, and sell or to arrange for the preparation, publication, and sale of reports of such judicial decisions, given in New Zealand or elsewhere, as may, in its opinion, be necessary or of value to persons engaged in the administration or practice of law in New Zealand. The Council may also if it thinks fit prepare, publish, and sell or arrange for the preparation, publication, and sale of any other legal works, and may on such terms as it thinks fit buy and sell copies of law reports or other legal publications.
(2) The Council may if it thinks fit, on such terms as may be mutually agreed upon, purchase the business of any person, firm, or company engaged in the preparation, publication, or sale in New Zealand of any series of law reports (to the extent to which such business relates to the preparation, publication, or sale of such reports), and may as it thinks fit discontinue any such business or continue it wholly or in part.
(3) No person, firm, or company other than the Council may, without the consent of the New Zealand Law Society, commence the publication of, or publish, a new series of reports of decisions of the High Court or Court of Appeal or of the Land Valuation Tribunal (either separately or in conjunction with reports of other judicial decisions).
(5) The New Zealand Law Society may give its consent under subsection (3) or subsection (4) if—
(a) the Council has failed to publish, or has failed to arrange for there to be published, within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost to purchasers, adequate reports of the decisions of the High Court or Court of Appeal or Supreme Court or of the Land Valuation Tribunal; or
(6) Despite subsection (4), the Chief Justice may, after consultation with the New Zealand Law Society, authorise any person, firm, or company other than the Council to publish reports of the decisions of the Supreme Court.
Section 12(3): replaced, on 10 April 2006, by section 4 of the New Zealand Council of Law Reporting Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 17).
Section 12(4): inserted, on 10 April 2006, by section 4 of the New Zealand Council of Law Reporting Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 17).
Section 12(5): inserted, on 10 April 2006, by section 4 of the New Zealand Council of Law Reporting Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 17).
Section 12(6): inserted, on 10 April 2006, by section 4 of the New Zealand Council of Law Reporting Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 17).