Legislative invalidation, human rights protection and s 4 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act

The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act has been criticised internationally and domestically on the basis that it does not give judges the power to "strike down" legislation that is inconsistent with the JCCPR. This paper assesses these criticisms by examining how the Bill of Rights affects different types of rules in both judicial and legislative processes and compares these results against Canadian and United States practices. It concludes that the absence of a striking down power in New Zealand has not inhibited the development of a healthy human rights culture.