Now in its third edition, this new Source Book features extracts from important cases involving the New Zealand Bill of Rights, including the 1997 Court of Appeal decision of 'same-sex' marriages; New Zealand's arguments in the World Court against nuclear weapons and French underground nuclear testing; treaties outlawing nuclear testing, biological and chemical weapons, and land mines; and international agreements on climate change, biological diversity and the ozone layer.

Highlights of the election manifestos of New Zealand political parties - from National and Labour through to the Christian Coalition and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party - are also published together here.

For the first time, those with an interest in New Zealand's politics will have easy access to the primary documents of our constitutional heritage, electoral system, government institutions and international relations. Extracts from ancient charters, laws, regulations, judicial opinions and treaties offer insights into the constitutional traditions which we share with other societies, as well as those features entirely distinctive to New Zealand.

From the Magna Carta to the Treaty of Waitangi, from New Zealand's human rights legislation of recent years through to the international declarations on human rights, this volume stresses the paramount principles underlying our processes of government. Whether quoting from the rules of Parliament or the guide to Cabinet procedure, the focus is on essential information about the way New Zealanders are governed.

This is a unique collection of political materials, providing opportunities for researchers, historians and the general public to gain lasting insights into the character of New Zealand political life.