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Most courts and tribunals will be closed during the holiday period. All courts and tribunals will be open on Monday 11 January 2021, with some opening from Tuesday 5 January 2021.
If you have any questions, call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787).
Our Contact Centre is closed for the holiday period between 3pm, 24 December 2020 and 8am, 5 January 2021. If your matter is urgent and cannot wait to be dealt with when we re-open, please call 09 526-7119. Otherwise, please call back after 8am on 5th January 2021.
On this page:
The Chief Justice has determined the following:
The President of the Court of Appeal has determined the following:
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Invercargill, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangarei (rule 3.2 High Court Rules 2016)
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Levin, Manukau, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North, Papakura, Porirua, Pukekohe, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Waitakere, Wellington, Whakatane, Whanganui, Whangarei
Alexandra, Ashburton, Dannevirke, Gore, Huntly, Morrinsville, Taihape, Taumarunui, Taupo, Thames, Tokoroa, Wairoa, Westport
The following courts are Hearing Courts. They will not be open over the Christmas and New Year period, and will resume hearings as rostered in the New Year:
The Auckland Information Office:
The National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO) will remain open 24 hours a day.
Family Courts will provide a national service for urgent applications over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Urgent applications will all be dealt with via the National eDuty platform. Court staff and duty judges have been allocated to deal with applications on the following days:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
---|---|---|---|---|
21 Dec 2020
|
22 Dec 2020
|
23 Dec 2020
|
24 Dec 2020
|
25 Dec 2020
|
Applications close 12:00pm.
All Registries close 3:00pm |
*
|
|||
28 Dec 2020
|
29 Dec 2020
|
30 Dec 2020
|
31 Dec 2020
|
1 Jan 2021
|
*
|
Applications close 2:00pm
|
Applications close 2:00pm
|
Applications close 2:00pm
|
*
|
4 Jan 2021
|
5 Jan 2021
|
6 Jan 2021
|
7 Jan 2021
|
8 Jan 2021
|
*
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Larger Courts reopen 9:00pm
Applications close 2:00pm |
Applications close 2:00pm
|
Applications close 2:00pm
|
Applications close 2:00pm
|
* Closed for observed statutory holiday
All urgent Family Court applications are required to be submitted to the registry by 2.00pm (exception 12pm on 24 Dec) on the days above in order for them to be processed. Any applications received after that time will be considered the following day.
The process for urgent Family Court applications will go back to normal on Monday 11 January 2021.
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.
Any persons arrested over this period will be brought to the nearest available court for the initial appearance before a judge, Community Magistrate or Justice of the Peace. 'Arrested' includes those arrested on new charges, on warrant or for breach of bail.
If bail is sought and it is not within jurisdiction of the judicial officer presiding at the first appearance, then any remand in custody (unless there is consent otherwise) must be adjourned to the next working day. This will allow the bail application to be dealt with via AVL from the prison (or police station) to the nearest, or most convenient, court where a judge is rostered to sit.
The following provides for the time frames for filing and processing of Electronically Monitored (EM) Bail applications prior to and after the Christmas break.
The Department of Corrections EM Bail Team have confirmed the dates for the filing and processing of EM Bail applications as follows:
2020 | 2021 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Applications
Close |
Last Hearing | Existing applications First Hearing | New applications Close for First Hearing | New applications First Hearing | |
Adult |
8 Dec 2020
5:00pm |
22 Dec 2020
|
19 Jan 2021
|
5 Jan 2021
5:00pm |
19 Jan 2021
|
Youth |
15 Dec 2020
5:00pm |
22 Dec 2020
|
19 Jan 2021
|
5 Jan 2021
5:00pm |
19 Jan 2021
|
Applications for hearing in the 2020 calendar year will need to be received by the EM Bail Team no later than 5:00pm Tuesday 8 December 2020 for adult applications and 5:00pm Tuesday 15 December 2020 for youth applications. The final date for EM Bail applications to be heard in 2020 will be Tuesday 22 December 2020.
The first date for hearings of any existing EM Bail applications adjourned from 2020 into the New Year will be from Tuesday 19 January 2021. Please ensure the EM Bail Team is advised of any such adjournments over the holiday period so arrangements can be made for potential installations of equipment as early as possible.
The first hearing date for new applications filed in the New Year will be from Tuesday 19 January 2021 for both adult and youth applications. Applications for hearing on these dates will need to be received by the EM Bail Team by 5:00pm Tuesday 5 January 2021 (including the applications received after 8 and 15 December 2020).
If there are any queries regarding the above time frames, please don't hesitate to contact the Electronically Monitored Bail Team, on 0800EMBAIL or embail@corrections.govt.nz.
Judges will be available to deal with any urgent applications filed under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (HDCA) on 21 - 24, and 29 - 31 December 2020.
Urgent High Court applications can be made during the Christmas and New Year period.
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