Protocol relating to live streaming of hearings by the Court issued 28 November 2023

1. This Protocol applies to the live streaming of any hearing of the Supreme Court of New Zealand | Te Kōti Mana Nui o Aotearoa (the Court) by the Court.(1)

2. For some hearings (including remote hearings), the Court may direct that the hearing be live streamed by the Court through the courtsofnz.govt.nz website.

3. Where a hearing has been live streamed by the Court, the Court may make a recording of the hearing and, if so, this will be posted on the govt.nz website.

4. The purpose of live streaming and recording hearings is to allow for fair and accurate reporting of proceedings of the Court and to provide an opportunity for those interested in proceedings before the Court to see the Court in action.

5. If you wish to view the live stream of a hearing or the recording of the live stream, you must first accept the terms and conditions for viewing that will appear on the screen when you access the live stream or the recording of it. By accepting those terms and conditions, you agree that your viewing of the live stream or the recording will be in accordance with those terms and conditions and with this protocol. The purpose of the terms and conditions is to preserve the integrity of the Court process and to protect the privacy of those involved in the proceeding. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions and this protocol will be treated as a breach of a court order.

6. Viewing the live stream of the hearing is subject to the same restrictions as if you were viewing the hearing in person in the courtroom. In particular:

(a) You must not record the screen (video) or audio and must not take still photographs. This includes a prohibition on downloading or capturing, by any means, sounds or images from the video feed, whether by software or digital devices, including cell phones, and a prohibition on electronic sharing of any content from the hearing. (Members of the media as defined in the In- Court Media Coverage Guidelines may, however, apply for permission to do this: see paragraph 7 below).

(b) You must not publish any report of the hearing while it is in progress. This includes publishing material on any social media platform or any other media. (Exemptions apply to members of the media: see paragraph 7 below).

7. The Media Guidelines for reporting on courts apply to members of the media viewing the live stream of the hearing in the same way as they apply to members of the media who are present in the courtroom. Please refer to the In-Court Media Coverage Guidelines and the Media Guide for Reporting the Courts and Tribunals. To make any audio or visual recording from the live stream of the hearing or the recording of the live stream, you will need to apply to the Registry using the usual application form.

This protocol is subject to revision.

Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann
Chief Justice | Te Tumu Whakawā
28 November 2023

(1) A hearing will normally be an in-person hearing where all participants are present in the courtroom, but may also include a remote hearing, where one or more participants participates remotely.