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Information and announcements for the legal profession from judiciary can be found on the Courts of New Zealand website(external link).
The Chief District Court Judge has issued a practice note setting out the process for appeals to a public health order issued under section 11 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. The Practice Note containing the filing address and the Notice of Appeal Form are available here:
Practice Note - COVID-19 Public Health Response Act(external link)
Notice of Appeal Form [PDF, 164 KB]
UPDATE 31 August: Courts and tribunals are operating differently at the moment. Please do not come to the courthouse if you are feeling unwell. Contact 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) if you cannot enter the courthouse or are not sure whether to attend.
Factsheet: Health and Safety measures during COVID-19 Alert Level 2 [PDF, 104 KB]
Find contact details for a court or tribunal
All jury trials in the Auckland region are suspended until Friday 4 September 2020. The Chief Justice has stated the decision whether to recommence Auckland-region jury trials from Monday 7 September 2020 will be made on Thursday 3 September 2020. Jurors will be notified about their attendance.
Read the Chief Justice's media statement 27 August re jury trial suspension(external link)
For any other hearings, please attend on your scheduled date unless a Judge or Registrar has advised otherwise.
Entry into courthouses is limited to defendants, parties, witnesses, complainants, victims, and other stakeholders. Members of the public (including whānau/support person for a defendant) whose presence is not required at court may only attend if granted permission from the presiding Judge.
Public counters are generally open.
Use of face masks in court buildings
Face masks should be worn while in public areas of Auckland court buildings effective from 31 August until further notice. This applies to all court participants and staff to maintain health and safety standards. It is an additional precaution for everyone in the court building. Disposable masks are freely available from security at court entrances.
For the rest of New Zealand, face mask use is encouraged in court buildings.
Judicial protocols have been updated to reflect this on the Courts of New Zealand website.(external link)
Read the Chief Justice's media statement 28 August 2020 regarding masks in court(external link)
Information about service delivery and operational requirements at each COVID-19 alert level can be found on our COVID-19 information page.
Information on justice services and programmes
Information on legal aid services response to COVID-19 can be found on What's new for legal aid lawyers.
Special sittings and admission ceremonies may have been affected. If you planned to attend any of these, please call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) to confirm what arrangements are being made.
Information on all court sittings or any special arrangements that may be necessary will be updated on our website or the Courts of New Zealand website:
Courts of New Zealand(external link)