Ministry of Justice

UPDATE 4 September: Courts and tribunals are operating differently at the moment. Please do not come to the courthouse if you are feeling unwell. Contact 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) if you cannot enter the courthouse or are not sure whether to attend.

Protocols for how courts and tribunals will operate during COVID-19 Alert Level 2 have been released on the Courts of NZ website.

Find contact details for a court or tribunal

We are following Ministry of Health guidelines to protect the health and safety of all court participants and staff. Please remember to use the NZ COVID Tracer app to scan the QR code upon entry, or sign in using the paper registration form.

Factsheet: Health and Safety measures during COVID-19 Alert Level 2

Jury trials in the Auckland region
The Chief Justice has announced jury trials in the Auckland region are resuming from Monday 7 September 2020. From Monday 7 September 2020, jurors are requested to attend in accordance with their summons or any later instructions from the Registry.

Arrangements are in place to keep jurors safe while Auckland remains at Alert Level 2 with extra restrictions.
Read the Chief Justice's media statement 3 September 2020 re the resumption of jury trials

All of New Zealand
Please attend on your scheduled date unless a Judge or Registrar has advised otherwise.

Entry into courthouses is limited to defendants, parties, witnesses, complainants, victims, and other stakeholders. Members of the public (including whānau/support person for a defendant) whose presence is not required at court may only attend if granted permission from the presiding Judge.

Public counters are generally open.

Use of face masks in court buildings
Face masks should be worn while in public areas of Auckland court buildings effective from 31 August until further notice. This applies to all court participants and staff to maintain health and safety standards. It is an additional precaution for everyone in the court building. Disposable masks are freely available from security at court entrances.

For the rest of New Zealand, face mask use is encouraged in court buildlings.

Judicial protocols have been updated to reflect this on the Courts of New Zealand website.

Read the Chief Justice's media statement 28 August 2020 regarding masks in court.