16 September 2025 – Press Release – Minister of Justice
Government temporarily suspends recognition of unsafe international adoptions
4 June 2025 – OIA release – Oranga Tamariki
Document 1: Oranga Tamariki OIA response
(1) acknowledging inaccurate information in the Oranga Tamariki Annual Report 2023-2024 about ‘open’ adoptions;
(2) rationale for no longer including the number of requests from adults seeking identifying information on birth parents in the Oranga Tamariki Annual Report 2023-2024; and
(3) the number of requests from adults seeking identifying information on birth parents in the 2023-2024 year.
Document 2: Evidence of the official sign off by the group within Oranga Tamariki that
administers adoptions, for the adoption related information and data published in the Oranga Tamariki Annual Report 2023-2024.
Document 3: Oranga Tamariki resource ‘How you can search for your birth parents’.
Document 4: Oranga Tamariki resource ‘Applying for Access to Court Adoption Records under S23 (3) (b) (iii) Adoption Act 1955’.
20 December 2024 – OIA release – Ministry of Justice
Demographic breakdown of responses to the Ministry of Justice’s two adoption law reform discussion documents (2021 and 2022)
21 June 2024 to 2 July 2024 – OIA release – Oranga Tamariki
Email communications between the Ministry of Justice and Oranga Tamariki to agree content of a report to the Minister of Justice, titled Ministerial Briefing on Adoption Law Reform for Agency Feedback
27 March 2024 – OIA release – Ministry of Justice
Adoption Law Reform: Background information and work to date
Report to associate Minister of Justice, Hon Nicole McKee
30 May 2023 – Press release – Minister of Justice
Next steps to reform outdated surrogacy law
April 2023 to August 2024 – OIA release – Ministry of Justice
Internal reports and communications about the timeframe for the adoption law reform work. The documents were released in 3 Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
14 April 2023 – OIA release – Ministry of Justice
Documents and emails relating to timeframes for adoption law reform
6 March 2023 – OIA release – Oranga Tamariki
Relationship between Oranga Tamariki and Jigsaw
10 October 2022 – OIA refusal response – Ministry of Justice
Number of section 23 applications made in previous 20 years
5 October 2022 – OIA refusal response – Ministry of Justice
Adoption court statistic – dispensing with consent
18 June 2021 – Press release – Minister of Justice
Adoption laws under review – 1 June 2021 Hon Kris Faafoi
29 April 2021 – Government response – Minister of Justice
Government response to the Social Services and Community Committee report on matters related to forced adoptions and Cabinet Minute
Covers matters relating to forced adoption, inquiry into past adoption practices, the Royal Commission mandate, and the 10 February 2021 Cabinet Business Committee Minute (pages 8 and 9) relating points noted above and surrogacy.
16 September 2020 Andrew Little ‘committed’ to adoption law reform next term, with support from National likely
August 2020 Briefing on matters related to forced adoptions Report of the Social Services and Community Committee
12 December 2018 to 3 May 2021 – OIA release – Oranga Tamariki
Adoption law reform timeframes and intercountry adoption
12 August 2011 Greater protection for child victims of family violence
27 November 2003 Child/Youth Law & Policy Conference
Justice Minister at the time, Lianne Dalziel, stated: “I hope to be in a position to take [adoption law reform] proposals to Cabinet next year.”
18 July 2003 Changes to Family Law Legislation in the 21st Century Justice Minister at the time, Lianne Dalziel, stated, “I anticipate that an Adoption Bill will be introduced at the end of this year or early next year and I look forward to positive changes being made to this outdated legislation.”
18 April 2002 A Vision for the future: New Zealand’s Child Legislation in the 21st Century Justice Minister at the time, Margaret Wilson, stated: “My colleague the Hon Steve Maharey and I have, therefore, directed officials from the three main agencies involved in the area to progress the review of the adoption laws taking into account the work of both the select committee and the Law Commission. I expect to make decisions on options for change later this year.”
4 September 2000 Trends in New Zealand Family Law Margaret Wilson, Attorney-General
19 May 1999 Law Commission To Review 1955 Adoption Laws Minister to Justice at the time, Tony Ryall stated: “The Commission is not asked to examine past or current social worker practice under either the Adoption Act 1955 or the Adult Adoption Information Act 1985″.
21 June 1997 International Conference on Adoption Healing Social Service Minister at the time, Roger Sowry, stated: “The Coalition Government also acknowledges that the Adoption Act 1955 is an old act and is in need of review. Work is progressing on this and I am personally committed to seeing it included on the legislative programme in the next twelve months.”