Attorney General Consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 for vaccination
Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Judith Collins
Response to this request is delayed. By law, Judith Collins should normally have responded promptly and by (details and exceptions)
      From: Erika Whittome
      
    
    Dear Judith Collins,
There is advice from 23 Nov 2021 on the justified limitations on the Bill of Rights 1990 to require covid-19 vaccination in this document https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Docum...
This advice is published on the Ministry of Justice's website here https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sect...
Paragraph 24  of the AG advice says: 
'Vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce transmission of COVID-19 as well as severity of symptoms."
Would you kindly provide the evidence or basis for this statement that vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce transmission of covid-19?
I have been unable to locate any evidence of a  reduction in transmission from covid-19 vaccination. The Pfizer trials published in a NEMJ study only evaluated whether a person caught the disease or not. There was no transmission studies nor severity of symptoms evaluated in this study:
"Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine | New England Journal of Medicine" https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NE... 
Reducing transmission was not an outcome measured in the trials. 
In February 2021 the statement from the Ministry of Health was “…we don’t yet know if it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus”
https://web.archive.org/web/202102261601...
In June 2021, the statement from Medsafe was ' At this stage, we do not know if vaccination prevents or reduces transmission of COVID-19: https://web.archive.org/web/202106300144...
Please supply the information/evidence relied on in this 23 Nov 2021 AG advice to say 'Vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce transmission of COVID-19 as well as severity of symptoms."
Yours faithfully,
Erika Whittome
        From: Judith Collins (MIN)
        Judith Collins
      
    
    Thank you for contacting Hon Judith Collins KC MP, Attorney-General,
 Minister of Defence, Minister for Digitising Government, Minister
 Responsible for the GCSB, Minister Responsible for the NZSIS, Minister for
 the Public Service and Minister for Space.
The Minister considers all correspondence important and appreciates you
 taking the time to write. As the Minister receives a large amount of
 correspondence, it is not always possible to personally reply to all
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Thank you for taking the time to write.
Kind regards
 Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
        From: Judith Collins (MIN)
        Judith Collins
      
    
    Dear Erika,
This is our acknowledgment of your OIA request. 
Warm regards, 
Office of Hon Judith Collins KC
show quoted sections
        From: Anna Bebbington
      
    
    Dear Erika
 
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act 1982
 (the Act), received on 15 September.
 
“Would you kindly provide the evidence or basis for this statement that
 vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce transmission of
 covid-19?
Please supply the information/evidence relied on in this 23 Nov 2021 AG
 advice to say 'Vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce
 transmission of COVID-19 as well as severity of symptoms."
 
After consultation with Crown Law, it has been confirmed that this office
 does not hold the requested information, but I believe relevant
 information is held by the Ministry of Justice, henceforth your request is
 being transferred to the Ministry.
 
Warm regards,
Office of Hon Collins KC
 
Anna Bebbington
Private Secretary (Administration) | Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
 
Member of Parliament for Papakura
Attorney-General | Minister of Defence | Minister for Digitising
 Government | Minister for the Public Service  Minister Responsible for
 the GCSB | Minister Responsible for the NZSIS | Minister for Space
 
  
DDI: 04 817 6808
Email: [1][email address]   Website:
 [2]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
 
 
 
Authorised by Hon Judith Collins KC, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
 confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
 transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
 replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
 intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
 prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
 portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
 constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
 date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
 meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
 Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
 be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
 with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
 released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
 private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
 provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
 considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
 copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
 be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
 your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
 release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
 sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
 [3]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
 
 
 
 
show quoted sections
        From: OIA@justice.govt.nz
      
    
    Tēnā koe Erika,
We acknowledge receipt of your request under the Official Information Act
 1982. 
This has been forwarded onto the relevant business unit to respond to. 
The Ministry may publish the response to your request on our website, you
 can expect that if your OIA is to be published that this will take place
 at least 10 working days after it has been sent you. Your name and any
 other personal information will be withheld under Section 9(2)(a) (protect
 the privacy of natural persons). 
You can expect a response by 24 October 2025.
Ngā mihi nui,
 
Ministerial Services
   
Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services
Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture [1]justice.govt.nz
 
 
From: Anna Bebbington <[email address]>
 Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2025 4:02 PM
 To: [FOI #32289 email]
 Subject: RE: JCOIA-430 FW: Official Information request - Attorney General
 Consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 for vaccination
 
Dear Erika
 
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act 1982
 (the Act), received on 15 September.
 
“Would you kindly provide the evidence or basis for this statement that
 vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce transmission of
 covid-19?
Please supply the information/evidence relied on in this 23 Nov 2021 AG
 advice to say 'Vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce
 transmission of COVID-19 as well as severity of symptoms."
 
After consultation with Crown Law, it has been confirmed that this office
 does not hold the requested information, but I believe relevant
 information is held by the Ministry of Justice, henceforth your request is
 being transferred to the Ministry.
 
Warm regards,
Office of Hon Collins KC
 
Anna Bebbington
Private Secretary (Administration) | Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
 
Member of Parliament for Papakura
Attorney-General | Minister of Defence | Minister for Digitising
 Government | Minister for the Public Service  Minister Responsible for
 the GCSB | Minister Responsible for the NZSIS | Minister for Space
 
  
DDI: 04 817 6808
Email: [2][email address]   Website:
 [3]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
 
 
 
Authorised by Hon Judith Collins KC, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
 confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
 transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
 replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
 intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
 prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
 portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
 constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
 date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
 meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
 Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
 be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
 with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
 released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
 private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
 provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
 considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
 copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
 be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
 your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
 release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
 sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
 [4]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
 
 
 
 
show quoted sections
        From: OIA@justice.govt.nz
      
    
    Tēnā koe Erika,
 
Please find attached a response regarding your request for official
 information.
 
Ngā mihi
   
Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services
Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture
 Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street, Wellington (6011)
[1][email address]
[2][email address]
[3][email address]
[4]justice.govt.nz
 
 
From: Anna Bebbington <[email address]>
 Sent: Thursday, 25 September 2025 4:02 pm
 To: [FOI #32289 email]
 Subject: RE: JCOIA-430 FW: Official Information request - Attorney General
 Consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 for vaccination
 
Dear Erika
 
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act 1982
 (the Act), received on 15 September.
 
“Would you kindly provide the evidence or basis for this statement that
 vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce transmission of
 covid-19?
Please supply the information/evidence relied on in this 23 Nov 2021 AG
 advice to say 'Vaccination has been shown to substantially reduce
 transmission of COVID-19 as well as severity of symptoms."
 
After consultation with Crown Law, it has been confirmed that this office
 does not hold the requested information, but I believe relevant
 information is held by the Ministry of Justice, henceforth your request is
 being transferred to the Ministry.
 
Warm regards,
Office of Hon Collins KC
 
Anna Bebbington
Private Secretary (Administration) | Office of Hon Judith Collins KC MP
 
Member of Parliament for Papakura
Attorney-General | Minister of Defence | Minister for Digitising
 Government | Minister for the Public Service Minister Responsible for the
 GCSB | Minister Responsible for the NZSIS | Minister for Space
  
DDI: 04 817 6808
Email: [5][email address] Website:
 [6]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
 
 
 
Authorised by Hon Judith Collins KC, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
 confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
 transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
 replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
 intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
 prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
 portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
 constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
 date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
 meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
 Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
 be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
 with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
 released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
 private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
 provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
 considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
 copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
 be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
 your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
 release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
 sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
 [7]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
 
 
 
 
show quoted sections
      From: Erika Whittome
      
    
    Dear [email address],
Under the Act, it's 20 days. I have lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman on the delay of this information. 
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
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Anna left an annotation ()
A very important OIA request. Thank you Erica.
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