Legal Interventions Wawaotanga ä-Ture The Commission has a long and successful history of applying to the Courts to participate in legal cases that have significant human rights implications. Under statute, the Commission has an automatic right to appear in cases before the Human Rights Review Tribunal (HRRT). In other jurisdictions, the Commission relies on section 5(2)(j) of the Human Rights Act to apply to the court to appear as an intervener in proceedings that will assist the Commission to carry out its functions of advocating for, and promoting, human rights. During 2018/19 the Commission was involved in six legal cases in its capacity as intervener. Attorney-General v Taylor The Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General v Taylor was issued on 9 November 2018, following a hearing that took place in March 2018. The judgment dismissed the Attorney-General’s appeal and confirmed that the higher courts have the jurisdiction to issue a declaration of inconsistency in respect of statutes that breach the New Zealand Bill of Rights. In doing so, it constituted a landmark constitutional and human rights law judgment. The Commission played an important role in both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court stages of the proceeding in advancing arguments in favour of the remedy and assisting the Courts with analysis of relevant human rights jurisprudence and international human rights obligations. Wai 2870 – Mäori prisoners’ voting rights inquiry The Commission made its first legal intervention in the Waitangi Tribunal. The Commission made submissions and appeared before the Tribunal in respect of Wai 2870, an urgent inquiry by the Tribunal into Mäori prisoners’ voting rights. The Tribunal’s findings were released in August 2019 and reflected the submissions made by the Commission. 48 Human Rights Commission