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Te Au Reka: proposed changes to court rules to enable the implementation of Te Au Reka in the District Court (including the Youth Court) and High Court
To support the implementation of Te Au Reka, changes to court rules are needed to enable digital ways of working that will be available through the online portal, such as:
providing that documents can be filed through the online portal
allowing the portal to be used as an address for service for a proceeding to receive documents from the court and other parties
allowing documents to be authenticated through the online portal, and
providing for certain information to be able to be viewed online through the portal by lawyers and case parties.
Rule changes are also needed to implement the requirement for lawyers and prosecutors to use the portal to provide information to and receive information from the court, and to receive served documents through the portal.
We welcome your feedback by Monday 16 November 2026, on:
the proposed draft rules amendments,
the specific questions we have asked in the consultation paper, and
any other related matters you would like to comment on.
This consultation does not include changes to the Family Court Rules to enable Te Au Reka to be implemented in the Family Court: these changes were made earlier this year.
Te Au Reka will be introduced in the Family Court in stages, beginning with registry and judicial functions in Christchurch and Ashburton from 23 November 2026. The courts portal will then roll out across the South Island from March 2027, followed by the Lower North Island and Central regions in April, and the Northern region in May 2027.