Urgent Family Court applications

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: 

All urgent Family Court applications are required to be submitted to the registry by 2pm on the days above in order for them to be processed. Any applications received after that time will be considered the following day.

Arrest courts

The District Court Rules allow for arrest courts to be held over the Christmas and New Year holiday period as required. Arrangements will be made locally by individual courts to process arrests over the holiday period. All courts have emergency contacts available.

Normal operating procedures for all matters in all courts will resume from Monday 11 January 2015.

Electronically monitored bail applications

The following provides for the time frames for filing and processing of EM Bail applications before and after the Christmas break.

The Department of Corrections Electronically Monitored Bail Team have confirmed the dates for the filing and processing of EM Bail applications as follows:

• The last date for filing Electronically Monitored Bail applications to be heard this year will be Friday 4 December 2015, making the final day for Electronically Monitored Bail hearings to be heard on Monday 21 December 2015.
• The first date for hearings of any existing Electronically Monitored Bail applications adjourned from 2015 into the New Year will be from Tuesday, 5 January 2016.
• The first date for hearing new applications filed in 2016 scheduled to be heard on Tuesday 19 January 2016 will need to have been filed in court and received by the Electronically Monitored Bail Team by Tuesday 5 January 2016.

If there are any queries regarding the above time frames, please don›t hesitate to contact the Electronically Monitored Bail Team, on 0800EMBAIL.

Higher Courts

Supreme Court
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Monday 11 January

Court of Appeal
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January

High Court
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Invercargill, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangarei
Close: 5pm, Wednesday 23 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January

District Courts
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Hamilton, Hastings, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Kaikohe, Levin, Manukau, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North, Papakura, Porirua, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, Thames, Timaru, Waitakere, Wellington, Whakatane, Whanganui, Whangarei
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January

Greymouth
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Wednesday 6 January

Alexandra, Ashburton, Dannevirke, Gore, Hawera, Huntly, Kaitaia, Morrinsville, Pukekohe, Taihape, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tokoroa, Wairoa, Westport
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Monday 11 January

The following courts are Hearing Courts. They will not be open over the Christmas and New Year’s period, and will resume hearings as rostered in the New Year:
Chatham Islands, Dargaville, Kaikoura, Marton, Oamaru, Opotiki, Ruatoria, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Waihi, Waipukurau

Special Jurisdictions

All Employment and Environment Courts
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January

Māori Land Courts
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January

Coronial Services
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January

The National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO) will remain open 24 hours a day.

Tribunals Unit
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January