Legal

Kia ora koutou.

This guide highlights some recommended resources relevant to your Legal executive course.
Note, it's also important to have worked through your course, doing the activities and accessing all the resources within the course.

The Library and Learning Centre team can help you with writing, finding resources and referencing.

You can also search for your own resources. See our
Getting started section to learn more.

Can't find what you need?

Contact Steph, your subject liaison librarian to get help with searching for resources or learning support:

• library@openpolytechnic.ac.nz
  0508 650 200 x 3
• 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday

Databases

Westlaw

Lexis Advance

You can also search our other databases to find thousands of resources.

New Zealand Websites

New Zealand Legislation
NZ Acts, Bills and Legislative Instruments

Judicial Decisions Online
Searchable database of NZ judgments and decisions from NZ courts

Courts of New Zealand
Decisions of public interest and case summaries

NZLII Database
Free access to legal information in NZ

New Zealand Parliament
Includes bills and business of parliament

Can't find what you need?

Contact Steph, your subject liaison librarian to get help with searching for resources or learning support:

• library@openpolytechnic.ac.nz
  0508 650 200 x 3
• 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday

For a more concise guide for commonly used sources in Open Polytechnic courses, see the examples below:

• Course material
• Legislation
• Legal cases

Referencing course material

References List entry

Open Polytechnic. (Year you are studying in). Course code Course title. URL

Note: The URL comes from the overview page.

Reference list example:

Open Polytechnic. (2025). 71110 Introduction to commercial law. https://openpolytechnic.iqualify.com/course/-NpR1bQdGwkWCCtonXAv/

There are two ways to cite the course material in your assignment.

1. At the start of the sentence
e.g. According to Open Polytechnic (2025) .....

2. At the end of the sentence:
e.g. ______________________________________(Open Polytechnic, 2025).



Referencing legislation

To reference legislation, state the name of the legislation and follow it with the URL from the first page of the legislation.

Reference list example:

Resource Management Act 1991. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM230265.h…

To cite legislation in the body of your assignment, state the name of the legislation as well as the section number and letter.

Intext citation example:

Section 9(1)(a) of the Resource Management Act 1991 states that….

or you can abbreviate section as follows: s 9(1)(a) of the Resource Management Act 1991….

Referencing cases

Reference cases in the same way as is stated in the NZ Law Style Guide.

Party v Party [year of case] Court abbreviation case number

Reference list example:
North Shore City Council v Attorney-General [2010] NZSC 125

(Note: use the style of brackets – round or square – that have been used in the reported citation)

When you cite a case in the body of your assignment, state the two parties.

Intext citation example:

 In the case of North Shore City Council v Attorney-General…………………

Quoting

In general, it is better to use your own words rather than quoting but if you do quote, use double quotation marks around the quote and state where the quote comes from.

To find out more about referencing and plagiarism see our APA referencing guide.

Can't find what you need?