Questions and feedback
If you'd like to ask a question or give us feedback, you can email us at contactus@justice.govt.nz and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
If your question is about a fines balance, you can call:
- 0800 4 FINES (0800 434 637, free from NZ mobile)
- From Australia: 1800 144 239 (toll free)
- From overseas: +64 4 915 8586
Making a complaint
If you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received from our Ministry, you can either get in touch with one of our staff directly or make a formal complaint.
We aim to deliver people-centred services according to our customer service charter [PDF, 2.8 MB]. If you are not happy with our services, we want to know so we can work with you to resolve your concerns.
Get in touch to discuss your concerns
If you’ve been in contact with a Ministry of Justice staff member, you can get in touch with them about your concerns. You can find their contact details on letters or emails you’ve received from them. They will try to resolve the matter straight away. If they can’t, they may pass on your concerns to the right team. Most complaints are resolved by talking with a staff member, so we recommend this as a first step.
Make a formal complaint
If you still have concerns after talking with us, you can make a formal complaint. This is a written complaint that goes through an official process. A formal complaint can take up to 20 working days.
You can make a formal complaint:
What to include in your complaint
To help us resolve your complaint, please include:
- Your first and last name
- Your email address
- Company name (if relevant)
- The details of what you are making a complaint about, such as the specific incident, who was involved, and when it happened.
- If your complaint is about a phone call with one of our call centres, please include your phone number, the call centre’s number, and the date and time of the call.
- If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, you’ll need to include a copy of their written permission.
Please don’t include personal or sensitive information which isn’t relevant to your complaint.
What we are unable to help with
There are some complaints the Ministry cannot help with. If your complaint is about any of the following, please contact the relevant agency instead.
We can’t resolve complaints about:
If you write to us about any of the above, we are only able to advise you where to go to next.
If you believe a crime has been committed, please contact New Zealand police. They can be reached online at How to report a crime or incident(external link)
What you can complain to us about
We can help with complaints about Ministry staff and services, including:
- Call centre staff conduct
- Court registry staff conduct
- The Ministry’s handling of personal information
- Delays in responding to your emails or letters
- Issues with the website, forms, or online services
- Anything you feel was not handled well when dealing with the Ministry’s staff or services.
Making a complaint on behalf of someone else
You can make a complaint on behalf of someone else if you have their permission. When you send us the complaint, you need to send us their written permission as well.
What happens after you make a complaint
After you make a complaint, we will let you know we have received it. If you send it by email, you will get an automatic reply which confirms the complaint has been received, and that we will be in touch within five working days to let you know what happens next.
We’ll look into your complaint and contact you if we need more information. You should expect a response within 20 working days from the date we received your complaint.
If we need more information or the matter you’ve raised is very detailed or complex, we might need more time to make a decision. If we do need more time, we’ll let you know.
Privacy information
We may pass on your complaint to the relevant team within the Ministry. For more information about how we handle complaints information, see our privacy policy.
How to take your complaint further
If you’re unhappy with how we have handled your complaint, you can contact the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about the Ministry of Justice and other agencies. They may look into your complaint and make a recommendation to us about how to resolve it. You can find out more by visiting their website.
You can contact the Ombudsman by: