“Power to make editorial changes in reprints

“17A Interpretation

• In this section and sections 17B to 17F, unless the context otherwise requires,—

  “Current drafting practice means the legislative drafting practice for the time being used in New Zealand

  “Legislation means—

  • “(a) An Act of Parliament:

  • “(b) An Imperial Act that has effect as part of the laws of New Zealand:

  • “(c) Any regulations:

  • “(d) An instrument that, under section 14 of this Act or section 6A of the Regulations Act 1936, has been printed and published as if it were a regulation:

  “Referential words means words (for example, ‘of this Act’, ‘of this section’, and ‘of this paragraph’) that identify the whole or part of a provision (including a schedule) as a provision, or as part of a provision, of the enactment in which they appear

  “Reprint means a reprint—

  • “(a) That is printed and published under this Act; and

  • “(b) That is a reprint of legislation; and

  • “(c) That, under section 29A of the Evidence Act 1908, is presumed to correctly state the law enacted or made by the legislation reprinted and by the amendments (if any) to that legislation.

“17B Purpose of sections 17C to 17E

• The purpose of sections 17C to 17E is to facilitate the production of up-to-date reprints that, to the extent permitted by those sections, are in a format and style consistent with current drafting practice.

“17C Power to make editorial changes in reprints

• “(1) Changes authorised by sections 17D and 17E may be made in a reprint.

  “(2) Sections 17D and 17E do not permit any change that, if it were enacted or made as an amendment to the legislation reprinted, would change the effect of the legislation.

“17D Changes to format

• “(1) Format may be changed so that the format of the reprint is consistent with current drafting practice.

  “(2) Changes authorised by this section include (without limitation)—

  • “(a) Changes to the setting out of provisions, tables, and schedules:

  • “(b) The repositioning of marginal notes or section headings:

  • “(c) Changes to typeface and type size:

  • “(d) The addition or removal of bolding, italics, and similar textual attributes:

  • “(e) The addition or removal of quotation marks and rules:

  • “(f) Changes to the case of letters or words (for example, the replacement of small capitals with ordinary capitals, and of capitals and small capitals with capitals and lower case):

  • “(g) The addition, alteration, or removal of running heads:

  • “(h) The repositioning of the date of Royal assent.

“17E Other changes

• “(1) Punctuation may be altered or omitted, or new punctuation inserted, so that the reprint uses punctuation that is consistent with current drafting practice.

  “(2) Unnecessary referential words may be omitted.

  “(3) Dates may be expressed in a manner consistent with current drafting practice.

  “(4) A Part numbered with roman numerals may be numbered with arabic numerals, and any cross-references to that Part in the reprint, or in another reprint, may be consequentially amended.

  “(5) The following changes may be made in relation to schedules:

  • “(a) A schedule may be renumbered so as to be consistent with current drafting practice (for example, Schedule 1 may replace First Schedule), and any cross-references to that schedule in the reprint, or in another reprint, may be consequentially amended:

  • “(b) A reference to a schedule to a particular enactment may be changed to a schedule of that enactment.

  “(6) Subsection (5) does not limit this section or section 17D.

“17F Changes to be noted in reprint

• If changes authorised by section 17C are made in a reprint, the reprint must—

  • “(a) Indicate that fact in a suitable place; and

  • “(b) Outline in general terms, and in a suitable place, the changes made.”

• “(2) In subsection (1) and sections 29(3) and 29A, the term regulations—

  • “(a) Has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989; and

  • “(b) Includes any instrument that, under section 14 of that Act or section 6A of the Regulations Act 1936, has been printed and published as if it were a regulation.”

• “(2A) To avoid any doubt, the presumption contained in subsection (2) applies to a copy of a reprint in which changes authorised by section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 have been made.”

• “51A 

  “(1) The High Court Rules, and any reprint of the High Court Rules, may be printed and published under section 14 of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 as if the High Court Rules were regulations within the meaning of that Act; and that section applies accordingly.

  “(2) Sections 28A, 29(3), and 29A of the Evidence Act 1908 apply accordingly.”