29 April 2026
Joshua Riley
[FYI request #34341 email]
Dear Joshua
Official Information Act request: Committee Report Examining Treaty Clauses
Thank you for your email of 1 April 2026, requesting under the Of icial Information Act 1982
(the Act), a copy of the Committee report examining Treaty Clauses. Specifically, you
requested:
I am writing to request a copy of the "Committee report examining Treaty clauses".
This is the report you acknowledged receiving in your letter to me dated 30 March 2026
(attached/referenced for your convenience), sent in response to my previous email of
25 January 2026.
If you decide to withhold the report in its entirety, please ensure your response complies
with section 19 of the OIA by providing the specific statutory reason under the Act and
advising me of my right to complain to the Ombudsman.
If you decide to redact or withhold any specific part(s) of this report, I expect your
response to clearly state:
1. The type of information that has been withheld in each instance.
2. The specific statutory grounds under the OIA relied upon for each specific redaction.
Additionally, if any information is being withheld on the basis that it wil soon be publicly
available, please provide a specific date or timeframe for its intended release.
I have interpreted the document you are seeking as the Report of the Advisory Group to
Ministers on references to Treaty principles in legislation (the Report).
Your request has been refused under section 18(d) of the Act as it is soon to be publicly
available. It is intended to be released within the next two weeks on the Ministry of Justice
website, here: www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/publications/
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Of ice
of the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. The Ombudsman may be contacted by
email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister of Justice
