The High Court has been told the Government decided to amend the lockdown rules when it became clear the public didn't understand them.
A judicial review is underway into whether the Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield exceeded his powers when the country was put into lockdown in late March.
Andrew Borrowdale brought the case - his lawyer Tiho Mijatov has told the court the Government cannot make rules by proclamation and must follow the law.
Acting for the Crown, Victoria Casey QC said the powers Mijatov claimed were the sole basis of the lockdown orders actually only played a small part.
RNZ's Hamish Cardwell is following the case.
