Insights & Articles

Commercial & Consumer Law

Empowering passengers: Exploring consumer rights regarding late departures in transportation services

Empowering passengers: Exploring consumer rights regarding late departures in transportation services

In an age where time is of the essence and personal schedules are tightly packed, the reliability of transportation services is paramount. Late departures by trains, buses, flights, and other means of transportation have become a common concern for consumers around the world. The rights of consumers when faced with tardy departures are not to be taken lightly.
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Small Business Contracts and Unfair Terms - It's Time to Review Your Contracts!

Small Business Contracts and Unfair Terms - It's Time to Review Your Contracts!

The Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 ("Amendment Act") has made recent amendments of the Fair Trading Act 1986 with some terms being extended to small business contracts that will come into force on 16 August 2022.
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Amendments to the Fair Trading Act for Small Trade Contracts

Amendments to the Fair Trading Act for Small Trade Contracts

The Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 - The Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 ("Amendment Act") was enacted on 16 August 2021. It introduces changes to the Fair Trading Act 1986 ("Act"), some of which have come into effect and others which will come into effect on 16 August 2022.
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Capture and Commercialise - Commercial Exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights

Capture and Commercialise - Commercial Exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights

Written by:
Andrew Knight
Intellectual Property is an asset that has the potential to be more valuable to your business than tangible business assets and should be protected as much as possible. A famous trade mark or a market leading patent may be of far greater value to a company than its physical assets.
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The Privacy Act 2020 - Privacy Principle One

The Privacy Act 2020 - Privacy Principle One

Written by:
Andrew Knight
The Privacy Act 2020 ("new Act") came into force in 2020, replacing the Privacy Act 1993. The purpose of the new Act was to overhaul New Zealand's existing privacy of personal information regulatory framework and bring it into line with internationally recognised privacy obligations and standards. Section 22 of the new Act sets out 13 information privacy principles ("Privacy Principles"). In this article, we focus on new developments in relation to Privacy Principle 1 ("PP1"), which addresses the purpose of collection of personal information.
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Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act - Prescribed Suitability and Affordability Assessments for Consumer Credit Contracts - Is Your Business Ready?

Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act - Prescribed Suitability and Affordability Assessments for Consumer Credit Contracts - Is Your Business Ready?

Written by:
Andrew Knight
On 1 October 2021, the long anticipated Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance (Lender Inquiries into Suitability and Affordability) Amendment Regulations 2020 ("Regulations") came into effect after being passed into law by the Government in November last year. The changes are well-intentioned, with the purpose being to tackle high-cost consumer loans and minimise borrower hardship that had been well documented in recent Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment inquiries into mobile trading. However, like all regulation, there is a trade-off, and these highly prescribed regulations place a significant compliance burden on responsible lenders, particularly small and medium enterprises.
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Brougham v Regan - The Requirements for a Valid Contract of Guarantee

Brougham v Regan - The Requirements for a Valid Contract of Guarantee

On 30 October 2020 the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment in the context of contracts of guarantee in the case of Brougham v Regan [2020] NZSC 118. A summary of the key facts of the matter and important points in the Court's decision follow.
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High Court Finds Level 4 'Lockdown' Unlawful for First Nine Days, Considers Lawfulness of Non-Essential Business Closures

High Court Finds Level 4 'Lockdown' Unlawful for First Nine Days, Considers Lawfulness of Non-Essential Business Closures

Written by:
James Turner
The High Court has found that the Government's announcement of an Alert Level 4 'Lockdown' for four weeks from 26 March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic was unlawful and potentially unenforceable for the first nine days (Borrowdale v Director-General of Health [2020] NZHC 2090). The Court also reviewed the closure of all non-essential businesses, which is significant for business owners hoping to file civil liability claims for lost revenue during this period.
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Health and Safety Protocols for the Construction Industry - Covid-19 Alert Level 2

Health and Safety Protocols for the Construction Industry - Covid-19 Alert Level 2

Written by:
Craig Andrews
There is an important update on the health and safety requirements in the construction sector we wish to share with you if you have not yet been updated. Over the last few weeks, the situation with Covid-19 in New Zealand has noticeably improved. However, it is too soon to celebrate, and there is no room for complacency as we will still be under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, starting this Thursday 14 May 2020. It will remain critical, perhaps more than ever, for everyone in the construction industry to take all necessary steps to keep the virus under control until we are down to Alert Level 1.
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Hardship - Consumer Credit Contracts Under a Covid-19 Related Lockdown

Hardship - Consumer Credit Contracts Under a Covid-19 Related Lockdown

Written by:
Andrew Knight
Section 55 of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 ("CCCFA") provides that a person who is unable reasonably, because of illness, injury loss of employment, the end of a relationship, or other reasonable cause, to meet their obligations under a consumer credit contract and who reasonably expects to be able to discharge their obligations if the terms of the contract were changed as provided for under the CCCFA may apply to a creditor to agree to that change. In the present Covid-19 lockdown, we expect these provisions to be tested and both debtors and creditors need to know their rights and responsibilities in these sorts of situations.
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