The LawFest legal technology event, New Zealand's largest, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation.

Organiser Andrew King says the health and safety of attendees, speakers, sponsors and the broader community is top priority.

"We have been overwhelmed with calls from delegates this morning advising that their organisations have put in place protective policies that prevent them from attending any event for the time being," he says.

"The government’s strict border control measures announced over the weekend have prevented delegates, sponsors and speakers from travelling from international locations including Australia, Singapore and the USA to attend LawFest.

"Combined, these factors make holding LawFest on Wednesday 18 March simply untenable."

Mr King says the highly-fluid situation makes future planning extremely difficult, and he will advise on future plans as these evolve over the coming weeks.