Courts and Tribunal hours – 26 September 2022
Most courts and tribunals will be closed on Monday 26 September for Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day, a one-off public holiday.
All Senior Courts will be closed. This includes the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
The District Court will be running arrest courts only.
Tribunals have rescheduled any matters set down for that day.
All courts and tribunals will be open on Tuesday 27 September.
If you have any questions, call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787).
Our Contact Centre is closed for Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day. If your matter is urgent and cannot wait until we re-open, please call 09 526 7119. Otherwise, please call back after 8am on Tuesday 27 September 2022.
UPDATE 13 September 2022: Courts remain an essential service and will remain open despite the presence of COVID-19 in the community.
Courts and Tribunals have protocols(external link) that provide a framework for ensuring that everyone who needs to participate in proceedings is able to do so.
Entering a court building
Access to a court or tribunal will be denied to anyone who:
Health and Safety
There may be limits on the number of people not directly involved in proceedings who can be physically present in courtrooms and court buildings.
To protect the safety of all court participants and staff, the following health and safety measures can be expected if you are visiting a court or tribunal:
Jury trials
Detailed information about jury service, and how jury trials are operating, is outlined in the Jury Trial Guidelines that apply from 13 September 2022
If you have received a jury service summons, you can check if you need to attend jury service on our website at: Check if you need to attend jury service.
Excusals and deferrals for jury trials
If you are not willing to undergo COVID-19 screening, you may ask, before you come to court, to have your jury service deferred. You should complete the “Response to Jury summons” form provided to you, selecting “other personal circumstances” and include the reason in the space provided before returning it to the Ministry in the pre-paid envelope provided.
If you have experienced changes to family or financial circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or if you have health and safety concerns, you may request to have your jury service excused or deferred (postponed). Please contact your local court for more information.
Find contact details for a court or tribunal
Other types of cases
High and District Court matters will proceed in person unless you are advised otherwise. Call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) or contact the registry directly at Contact us if you have questions about a specific case.
Please note that all people attending Court for hearings longer than one day may be asked to take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
Specialist Courts and Tribunals have implemented their own operating protocols: Courts of New Zealand - Courts and Tribunals protocols(external link)
Counter services
Public court counters are open. Some courts in smaller centres will have counter services available only on scheduled hearing days.
Exceptions to usual operating hours may occur at times due to unforeseen circumstances. Please call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) if you are unsure.
Electronic filing of documents continues to be available. Court documents and applications can be filed, with online payments, using File & Pay(external link)Drop boxes for hard copy documents are also available at all court entrances. Alternative methods of filing will be accepted as per judicial protocols.
Contact 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) if you cannot enter the courthouse or are not sure whether to attend. Find contact details for a court or tribunal.
For more information for court users, see Information for all court and tribunal users.
Jury trials
Detailed information about jury service, and how jury trials are operating, is outlined in the Jury Trial Guidelines that apply from 13 September 2022
In this section you'll find information about going to court - preparing for court, what to expect and legal aid.
Find out how to get an interpreter in court, or ask the court to speak in another language, how to file a document, or make an application, at court and how to get a document witnessed or certified.
When you first arrive at court, you should expect to go through court security. Find out what to expect if you're a witness, supporting someone going to court and what happens inside a court room.
Legal aid is government funding to pay for legal help for people who can't afford a lawyer.
You can represent yourself at court, without a lawyer. Find out how to prepare to represent yourself.
Fees can apply for some applications or stages of a court case.
Most courts have a hearing schedule of what cases are being heard and when. The Family Court and Youth Court are not open to the public.
The District Court Amendment Rules 2021 include changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules 2012 and the District Court Rules 2014, which require the addition of te reo Māori registry names in the header of existing criminal and civil District Court documents.
This page was last updated:
