Business Law Library & Tracker
Disputes, Enforcement & Remedies
Claims, regulator action, injunctions, damages and practical remedies.
Sources last reviewed 28 July 2026
Main law guides
157
Acts, regulations and codes worth reading first
Topics
60
Plain-English clusters
Published case explainers
96
Selected cases with a business lesson
Tracked updates
8
New, amended & reviewed
Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.
Get legal helpMain laws
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996
1996 No 30
Animal Products Act 1999
1999 No 93
Building Act 2004
2004 No 72
Construction Contracts Act 2002
2002 No 46
Consumer Guarantees Act 1993
1993 No 91
Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017
2017 No 5
Employment Relations Act 2000
2000 No 24
Incorporated Societies Act 2022
2022 No 12
Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987
1987 No 129
Partnership Law Act 2019
2019 No 53
Property Law Act 2007
2007 No 91
Trade Marks Act 2002
2002 No 49
Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003
2003 No 12
Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990
1990 No 108
Waste Minimisation Act 2008
2008 No 89
Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008
2008 No 97
Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
2001 No 93
Wine Act 2003
2003 No 114
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997
1997 No 87
Disputes Tribunal Act 1988
1988 No 110
Gambling Act 2003
2003 No 51
Interest on Money Claims Act 2016
2016 No 51
Land Transfer Act 2017
2017 No 30
Medicines Act 1981
1981 No 118
National Animal Identification and Tracing Act 2012
2012 No 2
Animal Welfare Act 1999
1999 No 142
Limitation Act 2010
2010 No 110
Psychoactive Substances Act 2013
2013 No 53
Radiation Safety Act 2016
2016 No 6
Farm Debt Mediation Act 2019
2019 No 73
Maritime Transport Act 1994
1994 No 104
Organic Products and Production Act 2023
2023 No 14
Trusts Act 2019
2019 No 38
Grocery Industry Competition Act 2023
2023 No 31
Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Act 1988
1988 No 157
Land Transport Act 1998
1998 No 110
Local Government (Rating) Act 2002
2002 No 6
Public Works Act 1981
1981 No 35
Russia Sanctions Act 2022
2022 No 6
Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989
1989 No 18
Corporations (Investigation and Management) Act 1989
1989 No 11
Deposit Takers Act 2023
2023 No 35
Radiocommunications Act 1989
1989 No 148
Social Workers Registration Act 2003
2003 No 17
Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993
1993 No 4
Fuel Industry Act 2020
2020 No 60
Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001
2001 No 51
Insolvency (Cross-border) Act 2006
2006 No 57
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006
2006 No 1
Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023
2023 No 1
Plant Variety Rights Act 2022
2022 No 61
Unit Titles Act 2010
2010 No 22
Harassment Act 1997
1997 No 92
Contributory Negligence Act 1947
1947 No 3
Defamation Act 1992
1992 No 105
Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Act 2023
2023 No 13
Financial Markets Authority Act 2011
2011 No 5
Geographical Indications Registration Act 2006
2006 No 60
Local Government Act 2002
2002 No 84
New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
2006 No 18
Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010
2010 No 108
Valuers Act 1948
1948 No 63
Wildlife Act 1953
1953 No 31
Commodity Levies Act 1990
1990 No 127
Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017
2017 No 17
Water Services Act 2021
2021 No 36
Cases
Edgecumbe Supermarket v Petersen
Employers must ensure that employment agreements are clear, that they follow proper procedures when addressing employee concerns or disciplinary matters, and that...
Faitala and Vea v The Pacific Island Business Development Trust
Employers must ensure that redundancy processes are genuine, transparent, and in compliance with employment agreements and good faith obligations. Employees have...
Halse & Anor v Hamilton City Council
If your business settles an employment dispute through MBIE mediation, do not treat the record of settlement as a one-off document that fades away with time. In...
Healey v Health New Zealand
The practical lesson is procedural. An employee does not need to say "I am raising a personal grievance" for a grievance to be raised. If their communications,...
healthAlliance NZ Ltd v Cunningham
If your business is in an employment dispute, treat court and Authority orders as operational deadlines, not negotiation points. In this case, the employer’s delay...
Insight New Zealand 2007 Ltd v Johnstone
For business owners, the main lesson is not that safety expectations are unimportant. It is that serious allegations need clear rules, a fair investigation and a...
Manawatu Motors 1970 Ltd v Renner
Manawatu Motors 1970 Ltd v Renner shows that employees who undermine their employer’s business relationships or breach loyalty duties can be liable for damages....
National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges Nga Whare Whakaruruhau O Aotearoa v Love & Crestani
For ordinary employers, the lasting lesson is about responsibility. Even where another organisation funds you, audits you, sets standards, requires reporting, or...
Rooney Farms Limited v Stewart
If your business is thinking about challenging an Employment Relations Authority determination, do not assume that challenge buys you time on payment. It does not....
Singh v McKee
Employers must ensure redundancy processes are thorough, fair, and well-documented to avoid findings of unjustified dismissal. When dismissals are challenged,...
Wilson Parking New Zealand Limited v Turner
The durable lesson from this case is procedural discipline. If your defence includes the point that someone else also caused the loss, do not wait until the...
Allied Investments Ltd v Jones
Employers must ensure that any changes to employment terms, such as commission structures, are clearly communicated and agreed upon with employees. Failure to do so...
Bread of Life Christian Church in Auckland v Chen
Bread of Life Christian Church in Auckland v Chen confirms that employment law applies to religious and charitable organisations when they employ staff. The courts...
Brown v The Clinician Holdings Ltd
If your business engages independent contractors, ensure their working arrangements do not resemble those of employees. Factors such as control over work hours,...
IDEA Services Ltd v Wills
Employers must not assume that a government mandate alone justifies skipping proper dismissal procedures. Even in urgent or challenging circumstances, you must...
Lyttelton Port Company Limited v Maritime Union of New Zealand
Employers should ensure any health monitoring policy is consistent with the terms of collective agreements and statutory obligations. Policies that go beyond agreed...
Lyttelton Port Company Ltd v Maritime Union of New Zealand and Anor
Employers planning restructures should carefully review their collective agreements to ensure they meet consultation requirements. The Court confirmed that...
McGearty v Air New Zealand Ltd
Employers cannot rely solely on collective agreements or industry standards to justify actions that disadvantage employees due to age. They must actively consider...
Soapi and Others v Pick Hawkes Bay Inc
Employers must be careful when making deductions from employees’ wages, especially for accommodation and other costs. Deductions must be lawful, agreed to in...
Tighe-Umbers v Jetconnect Limited
Employers must not rush to dismiss staff who cannot comply with health orders. Instead, they should carefully consider all reasonable alternatives, including leave...
Westgate Town Centre Limited (In Liquidation) v Westgate Properties Limited
If an outcome is commercially critical, put it into the contract in clear operational terms. Do not assume a shared project vision, planning framework or agreed...
Xu v Pioneer Education and Immigration Services Group Ltd
Employers must be careful when dismissing staff, especially where the dismissal is found to be unjustified. Compensation for lost earnings, emotional harm, and...
Yang v Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand
Employers must be transparent and fair when addressing performance concerns, especially in regulated environments. If an employee is placed on a supported training...
YFR v Reserve Bank of New Zealand/Te Pūtea Matua
Employers must uphold good faith and natural justice obligations, especially when dealing with employees nearing the end of fixed-term agreements. This includes: -...
Auckland Trotting Club Inc v Payne
Employers cannot rely on verbal agreements to change written employment contracts. Changes to pay structures, particularly involving commissions or bonuses, must be...
Caleys Ltd v Deadman
Employers should not rely on blanket forfeiture clauses to recover wages when an employee resigns without notice. Such clauses are likely to be seen as penalties...
Commerce Commission v Viagogo AG
A marketplace is responsible for the impression created by the whole customer journey. A technical disclosure, refund policy or later fee breakdown may not correct...
E Tū Inc v New Zealand Steel Ltd
The Employment Court confirmed that make-up pay is triggered when an employee, at the employer’s request, works outside their established ordinary hours and cannot...
E Tū Inc v Singh
Employers and unions must ensure that disciplinary processes are conducted fairly, with clear reasons for dismissal and a genuine opportunity for employees to...
Ford v Henry Brown and Co Ltd
Ford v Henry Brown and Co Ltd is a reminder that employers must be proactive and transparent during recruitment and dismissal. If you do not ask direct questions...
Fredricsen and anor v Air New Zealand Ltd and Air New Zealand Ltd v Fredricsen and anor
Employers must act in good faith when making decisions that affect employees, particularly in situations involving health and safety requirements like COVID-19...
Glenfield College BOT & Ors v Anderson
This case underscores that employers must handle reductions in employee hours with care. Even if a collective agreement contains provisions about hours, unilateral...
Hu v Passion Fresh Ltd
Employers and host businesses must understand their roles and obligations when engaging labour hire workers. Employees must raise personal grievances directly with...
Keighran v Kensington Tavern Ltd
Employers must consult with staff before making significant changes to their roles or hours, especially when those changes are prompted by workplace disputes or...
Preece v Synlait Milk Ltd
Employers should ensure that workplace policies, such as vaccination requirements, are implemented with proper consultation and communication. Employees must have...
Television New Zealand Ltd v E Tū Incorporated
Employers must carefully follow the consultation and participation requirements in their collective agreements, especially when making significant changes such as...
A Labour Inspector of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment v Prisha’s Hospitality (2017) Ltd T/A Royal Cambridge Indian Restaurant
Employers must strictly comply with minimum employment standards, including paying at least minimum wage, providing proper holiday and leave entitlements, and...
Birthing Centre Ltd v Matsas
Employers must carefully follow employment law requirements when making decisions that affect employees' jobs, such as redundancies or closures. This includes...
Henry v South Waikato Achievement Trust
Employers should avoid rushing disciplinary actions and not rely on minor procedural defects to justify dismissals. The Court requires substantive fairness and...
Le Gros v Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd
Employers should review their employment agreements and policies to ensure clarity around long service leave entitlements. This case highlights the importance of...
MGK Homes Ltd v Yoon
Employers must be careful when ending an employment relationship, especially with migrant workers. If an employee is dismissed without proper process or...
Nelmac Ltd v Reunited Employees Assoc Inc
The Employment Court confirmed that both employers and unions must uphold the duty of good faith during collective bargaining. If negotiations become antagonistic...
New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Assoc IUOW Inc v Tasman Cargo Airlines Pty Ltd
If you announce a pay rise to all eligible staff, you must honour it for union members, even if collective bargaining starts soon after. Withholding a promised...
Pact Group v Sheridan
The Employment Court confirmed that when a collective agreement requires 'two weeks' written notice', the notice period starts the day after the notice is given....
Pyne v Invacare New Zealand Ltd
Employers should base redundancy decisions on genuine operational needs and adhere to employment agreements. Failing to explore alternative employment options or...
Turner v Te Whatu Ora
Employers can justify dismissal for serious misconduct arising from social media posts if those posts damage the organisation’s reputation or breach codes of...
Farrand Orchards Ltd v Tane
Employers must ensure that any 90-day trial period is clearly discussed, agreed, and included in a signed employment agreement before the employee starts work....
Bathurst Resources Ltd v L & M Coal Holdings Ltd
If a payment or milestone trigger matters, draft it so an outsider can apply it without reconstructing months of negotiations. Context may help, but clear drafting...
Gill Pizza Ltd v A Labour Inspector
Calling workers contractors does not prevent a Labour Inspector from testing their status in an enforcement claim. Franchisees and other small businesses using...
ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd v Bushline Trustees Ltd
Treat your finance documents as one package, not as paperwork that simply follows the real deal. If a lender is agreeing to hold a margin, match a competitor, keep...
Riki Scott Steen Walls v Ulsterman Holdings Limited (In Liquidation)
The practical lesson is direct. If you are served with court proceedings, especially by liquidators, do not wait for a second warning. In this case, the defendant...
Affco New Zealand Limited v New Zealand Meat Workers and Related Trades Union Inc and Others
If your business relies on returning seasonal staff, do not assume the off-season gives you a clean slate to reset employment terms. This case shows that where...
Anna Elizabeth Osborne and Sonya Lynne Rockhouse v Worksafe New Zealand
Keep two tracks separate after a serious workplace event. One track is victim support, compensation, apologies and practical assistance. The other is the...
John Gilbert and QSM Trustees Limited (in receivership and in liquidation) v Body Corporate 162791
Read this case as a strong warning rather than a neat bright-line rule. Do not assume body corporate levies are just an old debt that stays with the owner company...
Mobil Oil NZ Ltd v Development Auckland Ltd
A general make-good clause may not allocate expensive contamination or structural remediation risk. Commercial leases for industrial or higher-risk sites should...
Sportzone Motorcycles Limited (in liquidation) and Motor Trade Finances Limited v Commerce Commission
The practical lesson from this case is to build each fee from the event that triggers it. If a fee is charged when a loan is set up, the business should be able to...
Vikram Kumar and Nirupama Kumar v Station Properties Limited (in liquidation and in receivership)
For business owners, the core lesson is simple: do not assume you can enforce a contract just because the other side has stopped cooperating. Before issuing a...
Chuan Wu v Body Corporate 366611 and Theta Management Limited
If your business owns or occupies premises in a unit title development, do not treat access control as just an operational issue. It is tied to property rights,...
Firm PI 1 Limited v Zurich Australian Insurance Limited
A replacement-value label does not protect a business from an inadequate sum insured or an unclear interaction with statutory and other insurance. Check both the...
University of Canterbury v The Insurance Council of New Zealand Inc
For business owners, the main lesson is that building compliance, insurance exposure and reinstatement costs often turn on the exact wording of the statute, not...
BFSL 2007 Ltd & Ors (In Liquidation) v Steigrad
If your business buys D&O or similar liability cover, do not assume the policy limit will be freely available both to defend the claim and to pay any eventual...
P (SC 87/2012) v Bridgecorp Ltd (In Receivership and in Liquidation)
If your business uses settlement deeds, payment plans or workout arrangements, this case is a reminder to draft enforcement documents carefully. A pre-signed...
Evgeny Orlov v Anza Distributing (NZ) Limited (In liquidation) and USG Interiors Pacific Limited
If your business wants both settlement certainty and an appellate ruling, do not assume you can safely settle first and appeal later. This case shows that once a...
Vector Gas Limited v Bay of Plenty Energy Limited
A short interim agreement can carry major financial consequences. Define whether a quoted price includes delivery, tax, third-party fees and other pass-through...
Tiny Intelligence Limited v Resport Limited
Winning an IP claim is only part of the strategy. The owner may need to choose between compensation for its loss and recovery of the infringer's profit, and that...
Commerce Commission v Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd
For ordinary businesses, the practical lesson is not about dairy valuation theory. It is about how regulated pricing and supply obligations work in real life. If...
Peterson Portable Sawing Systems Limited In Liquidation and Anor v Lucas and Anor
For business owners, the durable lesson is not about sawmills as such. It is about how fragile an intellectual property position can be if the legal claim is wider...
Telecom Mobile Limited v The Commerce Commission
Read this case as a lesson in sales design, not as a current compliance manual. The durable point is that courts will look closely at when and where the customer...