Beware of scam texts and emails claiming to be from the Ministry of Justice. We do not send payment links in texts or emails. If you are unsure whether a message is genuine, contact our call centre on 0800 4 FINES (0800 434 637) or 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) before clicking any links or making a payment. Read more about identifying scams.
Defendants who attend court and are held in the court custodial cells are the responsibility of either the Police or Department of Corrections. Defendants who are being held in custody are transported to the court by the Police or Department of Corrections. Once defendants are in the court cells, they remain the responsibility of either of these agencies for the period of time they are in court. This includes when defendants are moved from the court cells into the courtroom or to another part of the courthouse.