Opposition to the GSCB legislation rely on their traditional response that NZ will become a "national security state.", writes Aaron Lim. This is exactly what NZ needs.

Brian Rudman asks, "What would the great Liberal and Labour social pioneers think of the cripple-bashing that occurred last week?"

While the stakes may be small in the immediate case, this is about as big a deal as it gets in terms of our constitution, writes Andrew Geddis.

Preschools and childcare centres in New South Wales may be given the legal right to refuse to enrol children who have not been vaccinated.

Prime Minister John Key has defended the urgent passing of controversial legislation which restricted who could be paid for caring for disabled family members.

Tougher licensing rules for authorised financial advisers won't be introduced in a law change despite being suggested by the market regulator.

It takes a special class of sleep-deprived conspiracist to imagine John Key would have welcomed, let alone engineered, the Aaron Gilmore brouhaha, writes Toby Manhire.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he wants the GCSB law clarified as quickly as possible with as little politicking as possible.

Employment law experts have expressed concerns about plans to fast-track decisions on disputes before the Employment Relations Authority.

Gay marriage law author Louisa Wall won't be able to marry her same-sex partner in her own Ratana Church.

The harshest critics of the justice system are doubtless underwhelmed by the contents of an overhaul that will make judges more accountable.

Breakfast television coverage followed Chief High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann as she prepared for the day - until an item which ruffled her judicial calm.

The GCSB never reported their inability to read and they didn't ask politicians to change or "clarify" the legislation, writes John Minto. For 10 years they simply ignored it and only came unstuck

In front of Judge Anne Kiernan sit two piles of case files, in a clear file, full of notes, submissions and police summaries.

As Ashish Macwan walked into the Auckland District Court to be sentenced over causing the death of his 3-year-old, he was expecting the worst.

Prison has its place, but there are questions over how well it works, says Sir Grant Hammond, judge and president of the Law Commission.

A complaint about an anti-gay marriage brochure, criticised as being "extraordinarily offensive", has been dismissed by the country's advertising watchdog.

Culturally important substances such as kava could be captured by a law change which aims to stamp out harmful synthetic drugs, MPs have told Parliament.

Editorial: Any curb on freedom of speech is a serious step that should never be taken without good reason.

New iwi-run television stations could be part of the broadcasting landscape once pending legislation is passed, says the chairman of the organisation which will control Crown-allocated spectrum.

Police are considering trying to ban gang patches in New Brighton, Christchurch, after a flare up between gang members and ongoing intimidation.

"Who wins when the Auckland Council and the Government do not agree on the approach to affordable housing?" asks Mai Chen. "Or when Auckland's unitary plan should take effect?"