Official Information Act 1982

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Version as at 1 September 2022

Official Information Act 1982

Public Act		1982 No 156
Date of assent		17 December 1982
Commencement		see section 1

Note

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Justice.

	Title
1	Short Title and commencement
2	Interpretation
3	Act to bind the Crown
	Part 1 Purposes and criteria
4	Purposes
5	Principle of availability
6	Conclusive reasons for withholding official information
7	Special reasons for withholding official information related to the Cook Islands, Tokelau, or Niue, or the Ross Dependency
8	Special reasons for withholding official information related to competitive commercial activities [Repealed]
9	Other reasons for withholding official information
10	Information concerning existence of certain information
11	Exclusion of public interest immunity
	Part 2 Requests for access to official information
12	Requests
13	Assistance
14	Transfer of requests
15	Decisions on requests
15A	Extension of time limits
16	Documents
17	Deletion of information from documents
18	Refusal of requests
18A	Requests involving substantial collation or research
18B	Duty to consider consulting person if request likely to be refused under section 18(e) or (f)
19	Reason for refusal to be given
	Part 3 Publication of, and access to, certain documents and information
20	Publication setting out functions of public service agencies and organisations
21	Right of access to certain official information
22	Right of access to internal rules affecting decisions
23	Right of access by person to reasons for decisions affecting that person
	Part 4 Right of access to personal information
24	Right of access to personal information
24A	Restriction where person sentenced to imprisonment [Repealed]
25	Precautions
26	Correction of information
27	Reasons for refusal of requests for personal information
	Part 5 Review of decisions
	Decisions under Part 2 and section 10
28	Functions of Ombudsmen
29	Application of Ombudsmen Act 1975
29A	Requirements of Ombudsman to be complied with within certain period
29B	Consultation with Privacy Commissioner
30	Procedure after investigation
31	Disclosure of certain information not to be recommended
32	Recommendations made to public service agency or Minister of the Crown or organisation
32A	Requirements in relation to Order in Council
32B	Right of review
32C	Appeals
33	Complainant to be informed of result of investigation
34	Restriction on application for review
	Decisions under Part 3 or Part 4
35	Application of Ombudsmen Act 1975
	Saving
36	Saving in respect of Ombudsmen Act 1975
	Part 6 Information Authority [Expired]
37	Establishment of Information Authority [Expired]
38	Functions and powers of Authority [Expired]
39	Functions in respect of personal information [Expired]
40	Membership of Authority [Expired]
41	Term of office of members of Authority [Expired]
42	Regulations providing for access to information [Expired]
43	Provision for disallowance of regulations providing for access to information [Expired]
44	Annual report [Expired]
45	Offences [Expired]
	Part 7 Miscellaneous provisions
46	Assistance of Ministry of Justice
47	Regulations
48	Protection against certain actions
49	Power to amend Schedule 1 by Order in Council
50	Consequential amendments to other enactments
51	Repeal
52	Savings
53	Expiration of provisions relating to Information Authority
	Schedule 1 Organisations (additional to those named in Schedule 1 of the Ombudsmen Act 1975) to which this Act applies
	Schedule 2 Provisions relating to Information Authority [Expired]
	Schedule 3 Enactments amended
	Notes

An Act to make official information more freely available, to provide for proper access by each person to official information relating to that person, to protect official information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the preservation of personal privacy, to establish procedures for the achievement of those purposes, and to repeal the Official Secrets Act 1951

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Official Information Act 1982

Official Information Act 1982

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