This Act may be cited as the Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 1986, and shall be read together with and deemed part of the Acts Interpretation Act 1924 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act).

(2)

This Act shall come into force on the 1st day of January 1987.

2 Insertion of references to “Parliament of New Zealand”

The principal Act is hereby amended in the manner indicated in the Schedule to this Act.

3 General interpretation of terms

(1)

Section 4 of the principal Act is hereby amended by repealing the definition of the term “Constitution Act”.

(2)

Section 4 of the principal Act is hereby further amended by repealing the definition of the term “General Assembly”.

(3)

Section 4 of the principal Act is hereby further amended by inserting, before the definition of the term “minor”, the following definition:

“‘Member of Parliament’ means a member of the House of Representatives:”.

(4)

Section 4 of the principal Act is hereby further amended by repealing the definition of the term “Parliament”, and substituting the following definition:

“‘Parliament’ means the Parliament of New Zealand:”.

(5)

Section 4 of the principal Act is hereby further amended by repealing the definition of the term “Proclamation”, and substituting the following definition:

“‘Proclamation’ means a Proclamation made by the Governor-General under the Governor-General’s hand and the Seal of New Zealand and—

“(a)

Gazetted; or

“(b)

In the case of a Proclamation summoning, proroguing, or dissolving Parliament, publicly read in accordance with section 18(3)(b) of the Constitution Act 1986:”

4 Requirement to lay instruments before Parliament

The principal Act is hereby amended by inserting, after section 4, the following section:

“4a

Any requirement imposed by or under any enactment to lay before or table in Parliament any Order in Council, regulation, notice, report, accounts, or other instrument shall be deemed to be a requirement to lay such Order in Council, regulation, notice, report, accounts, or other instrument before the House of Representatives.”

5 Repeals

The principal Act is hereby amended by repealing sections 8 and 9.

6 New sections substituted

The principal Act is hereby amended by repealing section 10, and substituting the following sections:

“10 Insertion in Acts of Parliament of day of assent

“(1)

The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall insert in every Act of Parliament, immediately after the title thereof, the day, month, and year when the Act was assented to by the Sovereign or by the Governor-General.

“(2)

Every date inserted in an Act of Parliament pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be taken to be a part of the Act.

“10a Date of commencement

“(1)

The date of assent, as inserted in an Act of Parliament pursuant to section 10(1) of this Act, shall be the date of the commencement of the Act, if no other date of commencement is therein provided.

“(2)

Where an Act contains a provision that the Act or any portion thereof is to come into force on a day later than the date of assent to the Act, such provision shall be deemed to have come into force on the date of assent to the Act.

“(3)

Where an Act provides that certain provisions thereof are to come or shall be deemed to have come into force on a day other than the date of assent to the Act, the remaining provisions of the Act shall be deemed to have come into force on the date of assent to the Act.”

7 Provisions as to time, distances, appointments, powers, etc.

Section 25 of the principal Act is hereby amended by repealing paragraph (e), and substituting the following paragraph:

“(e)

Words directing or empowering the holder of any public office, other than a Minister of the Crown, to do any act or thing, or otherwise applying to that person by that person’s name of office, include that person’s successors in such office, and that person’s or those persons’ lawful deputy:”.

8 Renumbering of sections

(1)

The principal Act is hereby amended by renumbering section 25b (as inserted by section 4 of the Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 1983) as section 25c.

(2)

The principal Act is hereby further amended by renumbering section 25c (as inserted by section 4 of the Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 1983) as section 25d.

(3)

Section 6(2) of the Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 1983 is hereby amended by omitting the words “Sections 25b and 25c”, and substituting the words “Sections 25c and 25d”.

9 Administrator’s authority not to be questioned

(1)

The principal Act is hereby amended by inserting, after section 25d (as inserted by section 4 of the Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 1983 and as renumbered by section 8(2) of this Act), the following section:

“25e

The fact that the Administrator of the Government exercises or performs any function, duty, or power that may be exercised or performed by the Governor-General shall be conclusive evidence of the authority of the Administrator of the Government to do so, and no person shall be concerned to inquire whether the occasion requiring or authorising the Administrator to do so has arisen or has ceased.”

(2)

The Administrator’s Powers Act 1983 is hereby consequentially repealed.

(3)

This section shall be in force in Tokelau.

Schedule Amendments to Principal Act

Section 2

Section Affected	Amendment
Section 2	By inserting, after the words “New Zealand”, the words “or of the Parliament of New Zealand”.
Section 4	By inserting, after the words “the General Assembly” where they first appear, the words “or of the Parliament of New Zealand”.
	By inserting in the definition of the term “Act”, after the words “the General Assembly”, the words “or of the Parliament of New Zealand”.
	By inserting in the definition of the term “Government Printer”, after the words “the General Assembly”, the words “and the statutes of the Parliament of New Zealand”.
	By inserting in paragraph (iii) of the definition of the term “statutory declaration”, after the words “General Assembly”, the words “or the Parliament of New Zealand”.
Section 5	By inserting, after the words “the General Assembly” wherever they appear, the words “or of the Parliament of New Zealand”.
Section 13	By inserting, after the words “the General Assembly”, the words “or of the Parliament of New Zealand”.
Section 16	By inserting in paragraph (c), after the words “the General Assembly”, the words “or of the Parliament of New Zealand”.

This Act is administered in the Department of Justice.

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Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 1986