The Law Commission noted in a report which led to this legislation that "The largely voluntary space in which incorporated societies operate is an important part of New Zealand society and of the economy. Uncertainties and difficulties in the current incorporated society regime not only create significant problems for particular incorporated societies, but also create uncertainty and difficulty for the sector as a whole. … Much of the law of incorporated societies [is currently found] not … in the statute … but in the case law … Case law is not particularly accessible or useful for most Incorporated Societies because in general the people that run societies: (a) may not have the funds to take legal advice about what case law exists; (b) [may] have limited legal training; [and] (c) if able to obtain legal advice, may find it difficult to determine what the case law may mean for the society and its application to resolving a current [dispute] in a cost-effective manner."