Court and Tribunal hours – December 2025 and January 2026
Courts and tribunals will be closed during the holiday period. Reopening dates vary, starting from 5 January 2025, with all locations open by 19 January 2026. Confirmed dates for each location are below.
If you have any questions, call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787).
Our Contact Centre will close at 5:00pm 24 December 2025 and will re-open 8:00am 5 January 2026. They’ll be available to take urgent calls through the legal aid line (0800 253 425).
National Office (Aitken Street, Wellington) will shut down from close of business Friday 19 December and reopen on Monday 5 January 2026.
Courts and Tribunals Operating Hours 2025/2026
Senior Courts
Supreme Court
The Chief Justice has determined the following:
Close: 5:00pm Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Court of Appeal
The President of the Court of Appeal has determined the following:
Close: 5:00pm Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
High Court
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Invercargill, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangārei (rule 3.2 High Court Rules 2016)
Close: 5:00pm Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
District Court
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Levin, Manukau, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Papakura, Palmerston North, Porirua, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Waitakere, Wellington, Whakatane, Whanganui, Whangārei
Close: 3:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Ashburton, Dannevirke, Hāwera, Huntly, Kaikohe, Kaitāia, Morrinsville, Pukekohe, Taihape, Taumarunui, Taupō, Thames, Tokoroa, Wairoa
Close: 3:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 12 January 2026 (unless gazetted otherwise)
Alexandra, Gore, Westport
Closes: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2024
Opens: 9am, Monday 19 January 2026 (unless gazetted otherwise)
Hearing courts
The following courts are Hearing Courts. They will not be open over the Christmas and New Year’s period and will resume hearings as rostered in the New Year:
Chatham Islands, Dargaville, Kaikōura, Marton, Newmarket, Oamaru, Ohakune, Ōpōtiki, Ruatōria, Te Awamutu, Te Kūiti, Waihi, and Waipukurau
Special Jurisdictions
Employment Courts
Close: 5:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Environment Courts
Close: 5:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Māori Land Courts
Close: 3:00pmWednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 10:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Coroners Court
Close: 5:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
The National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO) will remain open 24 hours a day.
Tribunals Unit
Auckland
Close: 3:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Wellington
Close: 3:00pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9:00am Monday 5 January 2026
Urgent Family Court applications
Family Courts will provide a national service for urgent applications over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Urgent applications will continue to be managed via the eDuty platform.
Court staff and duty judges will be available to deal with applications on the following days:
All urgent Family Court applications are required to be submitted to the registry by 2:00pm (exception 12:00pm on 24 December) on the days above in order for them to be processed. Any applications received after that time will be considered the following court day.
The process for urgent Family Court applications will go back to normal on Monday 5 January 2026.
Mental health
Judges will be available to deal with any urgent applications made to the Family Court for a review of a patient’s condition, section 16 of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.
Arrest courts
Any persons arrested over the holiday period will be brought to the nearest available court for the initial appearance before a Judge, Community Magistrate or Justice of the Peace. “Arrested” includes those arrested on new charges, on warrant or for breach of bail.
If bail is sought and it is not within jurisdiction of the judicial officer presiding at the first appearance, then any remand in custody (unless there is consent otherwise) must be adjourned to the next working day. This will allow the bail application to be dealt with via AVL from the prison (or police station) to the nearest, or most convenient, court where a judge is rostered to sit.
Electronically Monitored Bail applications
The EM Admin team will be processing the applications throughout the Christmas and holiday period (only being closed on statutory holidays). Applications filed after 2nd of December (or 9th of December in the Youth Court) may be scheduled for hearing from the 12th of January 2026 subject to hearing time and counsel availability. Please ensure the EM Bail Team are advised of any such adjournments over the holiday period so arrangements can be made for potential installations of equipment as early as possible.
If there are any queries regarding the above time frames, please don't hesitate to contact the Electronically Monitored Bail Team, on 0800EMBAIL or EMTeamAdmin@corrections.govt.nz
Urgent Harmful Digital Communications Act applications
Judges will be available to deal with any urgent applications filed under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 during the Christmas and New Year period.
Urgent High Court applications
Urgent High Court applications can be made during the Christmas and New Year period.