Company directors have been put on notice: they may be held to be personally liable for their company’s employment law breaches; even if they genuinely believed the company was complying with its legal obligations.   

Recently, the government announced a new traffic light system to replace the alert level system when 90% “double jabbed” vaccine coverage is reached in each District Health Board’s geographic area.

As part of this announcement, a number of legislative changes regarding vaccine mandates were signaled. Of particular note was the proposed, vaccination certificate regime, under which vaccinated Kiwis, along with those medically unable to be vaccinated, would enjoy a wider range of freedoms than those voluntarily unvaccinated.

A newly proposed law looks set to require commercial landlords to negotiate rent relief deals with their tenants, in a bid by the Government to counter the economic effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on New Zealand businesses. 

Parliament went into urgency on 29 September 2021 for the first reading of the COVID-19 Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill (“Bill”). The Bill seeks to amend a number of existing laws, however, it is the changes the Bill proposes to make to the Property Law Act 2007 (“Act”) which have received the most attention thus far. 

New Zealand’s vaccination rollout has gathered pace with approximately 782,000 Kiwi’s now fully vaccinated.  As vaccination rates increase with the availability of the Pfizer vaccine (Vaccine) and the anticipated easing of some border restrictions, a number of questions from employers and employees will arise about their obligations and rights when it comes to workplace vaccination requirements.  

From 1 October 2021, directors and senior managers of lenders (i.e. a person or business providing credit under a consumer credit contract, including some mobile traders), must comply with new due diligence duties and obligations under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (the “CCCF Act”).