UPDATE 25 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.

Find contact details for a court or tribunal

Attending a court or tribunal

Auckland at Level 2

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.

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

Rest of New Zealand at Level 1

Please attend on your scheduled date unless a Judge or Registrar has advised otherwise.

Members of the public can attend without prior permission from the presiding Judge.

Public counters are generally open.

Protocols for how courts and tribunals will operate during COVID-19 Alert Level 1 have been released on the Courts of NZ website(external link)

Health and safety measures

We are following Ministry of Health guidelines to protect the health and safety of all court participants and staff.

Factsheet: Health and Safety measures during COVID-19 Alert Level 2 [PDF, 89 KB]

Factsheet: Health and Safety measures during COVID-19 Alert Level 1 [PDF, 85 KB]

Juror safety

Arrangements are in place to keep jurors safe in court buildings throughout New Zealand.

Read the Chief Justice's media statement 18 September 2020 re jury trial arrangements [PDF, 412KB](external link)

Use of face masks in court buildings

Face masks should be worn while in public areas of Auckland court buildings 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 buildings.

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

Read the Chief Justice's media statement 28 August 2020 regarding masks in court(external link)


Every year, thousands of New Zealanders give their time to serve on juries. Jury service is an important way you contribute to your country and your local community. Jurors help make sure the justice system is fair for all New Zealanders.

Most people on the New Zealand electoral roll can be randomly selected for jury service. You can be selected (or summoned) for jury service every 2 years.

If you’re summoned, you’ll get a letter that tells you to come to court for jury service. The letter will tell you the dates, times and court you should come to, along with a form you’ll need to send back to the court. 

Watch videos about being a juror

Members of the public have advised the Ministry of Justice that they have received suspicious emails in relation to Juror service. The emails ask customers to click a link to read and accept a Jury summons.

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