Most courts and tribunals will be closed during the holiday period. All courts and tribunals will be open on Monday 15 January 2018, with some opening from Wednesday 3 January.
If you have any questions, call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787).
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Urgent applications to the Family Court will be dealt with by duty judges who are available each weekday, except for the public holidays on 25–26 December and 1–2 January.
Any applications received by the court before 2:00pm will be dealt with on the same day. Applications received after 2:00pm will be dealt with on the next working day.
The process for urgent Family Court applications will go back to normal on Monday 8 January 2018.
Judges will be available to deal with any 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 will be held over the holiday period as needed. If you have any questions about a friend or family member who has been arrested, you should contact the relevant police station.
Judges will be available to deal with any urgent applications filed under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (HDCA) on 27, 28, and 29 December.
For urgent High Court applications please ring the emergency contact for the relevant court or circuit as noted below. The court contact person will make arrangements for a duty registrar.
Applications from:
Any urgent applications to be heard over the Christmas - New Year period will only be heard in the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch High Court registries.
Auckland High Court
Nana Matenga 027 204 2368
Wellington High Court
Jane Penney 027 509 3918
Christchurch High Court
Sharon Graham 027 553 4338
Close: 3pm, Friday 22 December
Open: 9am, Monday 8 January
Close: 3pm, Friday 22 December
Open: 9am, Wednesday 3 January
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Invercargill, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangarei
Close: 5pm, Friday 22 December
Open: 9am, Thursday 4 January
All District Court locations will close at 5pm, Friday 22 December, unless gazetted hours allow the registry to close earlier.
District Court locations that are gazetted to close earlier are:
3pm, Friday 22 December at Taihape and Taumarunui.
4pm, Friday 22 December at Ashburton, Dannevirke, Gore, Morrinsville, and Westport
District Court locations will reopen in January 2018 on various dates, as listed below:
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Hamilton, Hastings, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Kaikohe, Levin, Manukau, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North, Porirua, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, Waitakere, Wellington, Whakatane, Whanganui, Whangarei
Blenheim, Greymouth, Timaru
Dannevirke, Hawera, Huntly, Kaitaia, Morrinsville, Papakura, Pukekohe, Taumarunui, Taupo, Thames
Alexandra, Ashburton, Gore, Tokoroa, Taihape, Wairoa, Westport
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, Kaikoura, Marton, Oamaru, Opotiki, Ruatoria, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Waihi, Waipukurau
Specialist Courts and Tribunal units will close at 5pm, Friday 22 December and reopen at 9am, Wednesday 3 January. This includes Coronial Services*, Employment Court, Environment Court, Tribunals Units, and the Waitangi Tribunal.
The Māori Land Courts will close at 4pm, Friday 22 December and reopen 10am, Wednesday 3 January.
* The National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO), Coronial Services, will remain open 24 hours a day.
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