EN
The formation of the political and legal system of New Zealand was particularly infl uenced by the British constitutional practice. As the years passed, the state has departed from certain assumptions of the Westminster model, also adopting elements of other government concepts and politics. In the process of adaptation of the New Zealand political system to the changing political and legal conditions, the parliament primarily evolved. Since its establishment to the present, its structure, composition and functions have been fundamentally transformed. With the abolition of the parliamentary chamber in 1950, the existent bicameral model was transformed into a unicameral one. So far the most radical constitutional change in New Zealand has been so the introduction of a mixed electoral system in 1993. This resulted in the adoption of a completely different way of creating a legislative body; in consequence, innovative means of appointing the government and exercising the oversight function by the parliament emerged.