Covid and the Law in Aotearoa New Zealand (bk)

Covid and the Law in Aotearoa New Zealand sets out the law through which Aotearoa New Zealand responded to Covid-19 in 2020 through to mid-2021.

The book outlines the legal frameworks that were in place before the pandemic arrived, the way the legal powers set out in these frameworks were used from January 2020 onwards, and how new law was developed.  The chapters follow a timeline of pivotal moments of Covid in New Zealand, from keeping it out, to lockdown, to resurgence, working towards a "new normal", to the marathon taking us through to June 2021.  It responds to the question: “what happened?” in terms of the law.   

Meticulously researched and expertly written, the author combines legislative and case law analysis with the human element of the pandemic, via interviews with key persons involved in the covid response.  This text is a snapshot of how Covid unfolded in Aotearoa, a resource not only for lawyers and academics but all interested in legal perspectives on New Zealand’s Covid-related history and themes through 2020 and 2021.  

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Communicable disease and law: where we were in January 2020

Chapter 3: ‘Keep it out’: from the end of January 2020 to early March 2020             

Chapter 4: ‘Go right now’: Lockdown from mid-March to end of April 2020             

Chapter 5: Development of new legislation and its implementation - May 2020     

Chapter 6: Strengthening and Review: June to July 2020

Chapter 7: Resurgence - August and September 2020     

Chapter 8: Consolidation: October - December 2020       

Chapter 9: Towards a new normal? January 2021 to March 2021

Chapter 10: First attempts to ‘open the border’: April 2021         

Chapter 11: A Marathon not a sprint May to June 2021

Chapter 12: Summary of Covid-law

Chapter 13: Issues and themes  

Chapter Fourteen: Future Reflections