How do I make a discrimination complaint in New Zealand?

General information from Lawmateanz

You can make a complaint to the Human Rights Commission, which offers a free, confidential dispute resolution service, often mediation, to help resolve it.

If the complaint isn't resolved, you may be able to take it to the Human Rights Review Tribunal. The Office of Human Rights Proceedings can provide free legal representation in some cases.

If the discrimination happened at work, you can choose to raise a personal grievance under the Employment Relations Act instead, but you generally can't do both. A personal grievance must usually be raised within 90 days.

Keep a record of what happened, when, and who was involved, along with any messages or documents.

The Human Rights Commission (0800 496 877) can explain your options, and Community Law Centres and employment lawyers can help.

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