The Public Law Committee takes an interest in any issue coming under the rubric of "public law" - including, but not limited to, constitutional and administrative law, the role of the three branches of government, and the interface between government and the citizen.

Because of its Wellington base, and the fact that the New Zealand Law Society does not have an equivalent committee, the Public Law Committee serves an important role in addressing public law issues on behalf of the profession. The Committee has a tradition of taking the initiative on matters on which it considers it can make an impact, as welll as responding to calls for submissions.

Recent activities of the Committee include making proposals to improve the vetting of legislation for NZBORA compliance, making submissions on changes to Parliamentary Standing Orders, and launching a series of seminars for practitioners on how best to deal with public sector agencies. The Committee also meets regularly with public sector organisations like the Ministry of Justice, the Law Commission, and the Human Rights Commission.

The Committee's membership includes government lawyers and those in private practice. This makes it a good forum for discussion and meeting fellow practitioners. Meetings are held bi-monthly at lunchtimes.