Resources and publications
Ngā rauemi me ngā tānga
Search guides, case notes, opinions, reports and other information. Resources and publications can also be searched by date and other options.
Use the search bar to make your search. Then use the filters to narrow down the results by resource type or topic.
More information about the resource categories on this page
Guides
Commonly used guides include:
- The OIA for Ministers and agencies
- The LGOIMA for local government agencies
- Making official information requests: a guide for requesters
Detailed guidance on the official information legislation and aspects of good administrative practice.
We also have guidance on disability rights and protected disclosures.
Case notes and opinions
Case notes are a short case summary, often demonstrating an aspect of a case.
An Ombudsman's Opinion is published where there is public interest in showing the full details of a case.
Reports
Reports include OPCAT, disability rights, official information practice and systemic investigation.
Outreach
Contains our media releases, newsletters, pamphlets, speeches and fact sheets. Fact sheets are published in multiple language and accessible formats.
Corporate documents
This includes our annual reports and strategic intentions.
Projects, reference and data
This includes our official information complaints data, updates on investigations and other projects, and submissions by the Ombudsman.
View all projects, reference and data
Template letters and work sheets
These template letters and work sheets can be used by agencies to help respond to official information requests.
13 Resources Show all
Request for information about access to staff records
Case notesInformation held is incomplete but it should be released along with a contextual statement—s 18(g) does not apply—staff recollections should also be providedRequest for agency peer review of Family Violence Death Review Committee draft annual report
Case notesRelease of free and frank comments made in the context of peer reviewing a draft annual report would inhibit the expression of similar comments in future—s 9(2)(g)(i) appliedRequest for footage of battle of Baghak
Case notesNZDF deemed to hold battle footage recorded by soldiers on their personal devices in their official capacityRequests for firearms statistics
Case notesRefusal under section 18(g) not justified—information held—Police could manually extract and compile statistics—where compilation involves substantial collation or research s 18(f) appliesRequest for employee’s recollection of events
Case notesRequest for DIA employee’s recollection of events that occurred when she was employed by another agency—DIA not deemed to hold information because not held by employee in that person’s capacity as such an employee—information that cannot be recalled is not held—s 18(g) appliesRequest for names of staff involved in sending email to parents about Pink Shirt Day
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied—correspondence with the requester and information supplied by the New Zealand Police suggested the requester would approach the staff outside of the official complaints process, and may have behaved in an abusive and threatenRequest for due diligence report, site visit reports and reference checks
Case notesSection 9(2)(ba)(i) applies in part to the due diligence report and to the correspondence from supplier—public interest in accountability of Department for steps taken to satisfy itself regarding supplier’s performance—sections 9(2)(ba)(i) and 9(2)(g)(i) apply to information obtained from site visits, but not to the executive summary of the reports—public interest in accountability for decision to award contract—sections 9(2)(ba)(i) applies to reference checks—release would deter referees from providing full and complete information in future—public interest requires release of summary information about the reference checksRequest for draft job sizing reports
Case notesReports formed an early stage of developing options for consideration and consultation— disclosure would likely inhibit the willingness of officials and consultants to tender a wide range of preliminary options, and to canvass issues in comprehensive written form, to the detriment of prudent and effective decision makingRequest for videotape of Police interview
Case notesRequest for videotape of Police interview—videotape withheld under s 9(2)(a)—strong public interest in the requester knowing how the Police had conducted its inquiries and responses given—release of transcript, subject to deletions, would meet public interestRequest by unsuccessful applicant for comparative information about himself and successful applicant
Case notesRequest by unsuccessful applicant for comparative information about himself and successful applicant—all information about requester released to him—detailed personal information about successful applicant withheld under s 9(2)(a)—requester seeking to establish why his application unsuccessful—matter resolved by provision of s 23 statement of reasons and a summary of successful applicant’s qualifications and work experience—s 16Request by unsuccessful applicant for successful applicant’s performance agreement
Case notesRequest by unsuccessful applicant for successful applicant’s performance agreement—portions of agreement withheld under s 9(2)(a)—information at issue found to be about job requirements not personal about the jobholder—information released.Request to Minister of Immigration for copy of list of overstayers
Case notesRequest for copy of list of overstayers—request refused under s 9(2)(a)—list held compiled for internal 'alert' purposes and not necessarily accurate—privacy interest—no countervailing public interest considerations which outweighed need to withholdRequest for curricula vitae of applicants selected for interview
Case notesRequest for curricula vitae of applicants selected for interview—information withheld under s 9(2)(a)—summaries made available under s 16