COVID-19 Information
COVID-19 court operating protocols for all jurisdictions have been withdrawn, and the Jury Trial Protocol and Jury Trial Guidelines have been modified, effective 21 August 2023
Last updated 13 September 2023 |
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For the legal profession |
For media and court participants |
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Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann: Media Statement: Court operating protocols withdrawn; jury trial guidelines modified (PDF, 179 KB) Date issued: 21 August 2023 |
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Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann : Statement to the profession; Expiration of Epidemic Notice - impact on Court operations (PDF, 547 KB) Date issued: 19 October 2022 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann: Court operations from Tuesday 13 September 2022. PDF, 528 KB Date issued: 12 September 2022 Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann: Statement to the profession (PDF, 536 KB) Date issued: 12 September 2022 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann: Revised court operating protocols; Jury Trial Protocol and revised Jury Trial Bubble Guidelines (PDF, 701 KB) Date issued: 28 April 2022 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann: Revised court operating protocols published today (PDF, 172 KB) Date issued: 4 April 2022 |
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Chief Justice Winkelmann: letter to the legal profession: Operation of the courts during the Omicron outbreak (PDF, 1.2 MB) Date 2 March 2022 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann: Court operations in Wellington for week of 21 February 2022 (PDF, 167 KB) Date issued: 21 February 2022 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann: Revised court protocols published online, operational from Monday 14 February 2022 (PDF, 505 KB) |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann: Court operations for the week of 24 January as the country moves to Red traffic light setting (PDF, 505 KB) Date issued: 23 January 2022 |
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Protocol Modification to Jury Rules 1990 for High Court and District Court jury trials from 24 January 2022 (PDF, 268 KB) - (archived) Date issued: 21 December 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann: Court operations under the COVID-19 Protection Framework (PDF, 508 KB) Date issued: 21 December 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann: Court operations under the COVID-19 Protection Framework: Transitional arrangements (PDF, 596 KB) Date issued: 3 December 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann: Court operations: Alert levels update Waikato (PDF, 691 KB) Date issued: 17 November 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann Jury trials update, Kaitaia District Court at Alert Level 2 (PDF, 510 KB) Date issued: 11 November 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann Waikato jury trials, Kaitaia District Court at Alert Level 3 (PDF, 521 KB) Date issued: 4 November 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann Suspension of jury trials in Auckland for November (PDF, 495 KB) Date issued: 28 October 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann Northland court operations: Alert Level 2 (PDF, 511 KB) Date issued: 19 October 2021 |
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Chief Justice Winkelmann Cross-Alert Level Boundary Travel (information for participants) Date issued: 15 October 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann Operations for courts under Alert Level 3 in October (PDF, 658 KB) Date issued: 10 October 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann All Waikato courts to adopt Alert Level 3 protocols (PDF, 506 KB) Date issued: 3 October 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Operation of the courts - Alert levels from Wednesday 22 September. Travel for court hearings across Alert Level 3 boundary (PDF, 512 KB) |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Operation of the courts - Alert levels from Wednesday 8 September. Staged increase in workload tailored to local courts and capacity (PDF, 665 KB) Date issued 6 September 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Northland at Alert Level 3, Auckland at Alert Level 4: Arrangements for courts (PDF, 503 KB) Date issued 3 September 2021 |
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Statement for Profession Date issued: 27 August 2021 |
Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Date issued 27 August 2021
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Court arrangements for Covid-19 Alert Level 4 (Delta Variant) (PDF, 610 KB) Date issued 24 August 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Court arrangements for Covid-19 Alert Level 4 (Delta Variant) (PDF, 688 KB) Date issued 20 August 2021 |
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District Court Practice Note: Civil proceedings — COVID-19 Preparednessre ... guidance as to the manner in which practitioners, parties, and other participants in the District Court can expect judges to use their power under s 24 to modify the applicable District Court Rules 2014 while the epidemic notice is in force ... View Practice Note: Practice Note Date issued: 20 August 2021 |
Guideline for mediaThe information in this Guide is intended to assist media reporting the courts during the COVID-19 alert levels. Please read this in conjunction with the existing rules and guidelines Guide for media reporting the courts under COVID-19 alert levels (PDF, 204 KB) Updated : 20 August 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Court arrangements for Covid-19 Alert Level 4 (Delta Variant) (PDF, 519 KB) Date issued 17 August 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Arrangements for the Courts of New Zealand (PDF, 345 KB) Date issued: 29 June 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Arrangements for the Courts of New Zealand (PDF, 482 KB) Date issued: 27 June 2021 |
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Media statement Chief Justice Winkelmann Court arrangement from Thursday 24 June 2021 (pdf, 394 KB) Date issued: 23 June 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann – Arrangements for Courts of New Zealand at COVID-19 Alert Level 1 Date issued: 12 March 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Court arrangements from Saturday 6 March 2021 Date issued: 5 March 2021 |
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New District Court protocol for public health order appealsThe Chief District Court Judge has issued a practice note setting out the process for appeals against a public health order issued under section 11 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. Practice note: Public Health Order appeals- procedure for lodging and hearing the appeal Date issued: 1 March 2021 |
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Media statement from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Reinstatement of the Alert Level 2 and 3 protocols for the courts throughout New Zealand Date issued: 28 February 2021 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Arrangements for Courts of New Zealand (PDF, 413 KB) Date issued: 22 February 2021 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Court arrangements from Thursday 18 February 2021 (PDF, 419 KB) Date issued: 17 February 2021 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Alert Level changes and the operation of courts (PDF, 187 KB) Date issued: 14 February 2021 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Arrangements for courts of New Zealand (PDF, 409 KB) Date issued: 6 October 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Court arrangements for the week beginning 28 September 2020 (PDF, 418 KB) Date issued: 24 September 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Jury trials arrangement for the week beginning 21 September (PDF, 416 KB) Date issued: 18 September 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Resumption of jury trials in Auckland from 7 September 2020 (PDF, 1 MB) Date issued: 3 September 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Masks in court from Monday 31 August 2020 (PDF, 138 KB) Date issued: 28 August 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Jury trials for the week beginning 31 August 2020 (PDF, 122 KB) Date issued: 27 August 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Jury trials weeks beginning 17 and 24 August (PDF, 82 KB) Date issued: 14 August 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Update on jury trials (PDF 197 KB) Date issued: 12 August 2020 |
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Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann - Temporary suspension of jury trials (PDF 191 KB) Date issued: 11 August 2020 |
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New District Court protocol for people arriving in isolation and quarantinePractice note: Isolation and Quarantine |
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Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann: "Major changes within court system must happen"Transcript of RNZ National Nine to Noon interview with Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann (PDF, 96 KB) Date: 17 June 2020 |
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An updated guide for media on covering the District Court at Alert Level 1 District Court media guide update post COVID-19 (PDF 165 KB) Date issued: 15 June 2020 |
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Letter from Chief Justice Winkelmann COVID-19 - movement to Alert Level 1 (PDF, 193 KB) Date issued: 8 June 2020 |
Media Release from Chief Justice Winkelmann Chief Justice announces timetable for resumption of jury trials (PDF, 202 KB) Date issued: 8 June 2020 |
New District Court protocol for public health order appealsThe Chief District Court Judge has issued a practice note setting out the process for appeals against a public health order issued under section 11 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. The practice note contains the filing address to be used. Practice note: Public Health Order appeals Date issued: 22 May 2020 |
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Letter from Chief Justice Winkelmann
Operation of the courts under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 (PDF, 283 KB) Date issued: 13 May 2020 |
Media Release from the Chief District Court JudgeThe Chief District Court Judge has issued a new protocol to guide New Zealand’s biggest court as it continues to deliver an essential service during Alert Level 2 of the pandemic response. New Protocol for the District Court at Alert Level 2 (PDF, 185 KB) Date issued: 13 May 2020 |
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Chief Justice Winkelmann says courts will publish revised practice notes and protocols in the event the Government announces an immediate or phased step-down to COVID-19 Alert Level 2. Revised practice notes and protocols to be published for COVID-19 alert level 2 (PDF, 229 KB) Date issued: 8 May 2020 |
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Letter from Chief Justice Winkelmann
re … the type and volume of work in the courts will continue to expand… The courts will be open to the public….however there will be limits on the numbers who can attend. Operation of the courts under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 (PDF, 261 KB) Date issued: 23 April 2020 |
Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann
re … the type and volume of work in the courts will continue to expand… The courts will be open to the public….however there will be limits on the numbers who can attend. Operation of the courts under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 (PDF, 198 KB) Date issued: 23 April 2020 |
Guidelines for District Court practitioners during period of Epidemic NoticeRegarding unsworn affidavits, Electronic Filing/Remote hearings, and Electronic Service. Guidelines for Practitioners during period of Epidemic Notice Date issued: 16 April 2020 |
Media release from Chief Justice Winkelmann
Changes to the operation of the courts entering the third week of COVID-19 alert level 4. How the courts will operate in the short and medium term under alert restrictions. Update on operation of the courts under COVID-19 alert levels (PDF, 181 KB) Date issued: 8 April 2020 |
Letter from the Chief Justice Winkelmann
Operation of the courts under COVID-19 alert levels (PDF, 316 KB) Date issued: 8 April 2020
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Media releases from Chief District Court Judge Heemi TaumaunuDate issued: various |
Changes to the High Court Rules 2016The High Court Rules 2016 have been amended to ensure that civil justice remains accessible during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Rules Committee has worked with the Ministry of Justice, the profession, and the judiciary to achieve this, and have produced a summary of key provisions. |
Media briefing with the Chief Justice and Heads of BenchBefore: Chief Justice The Right Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann Held at Auckland High Court. Transcript (PDF, 173 KB) Date of briefing: 3 April 2020 |
March letters to the profession from Chief Justice Winkelmann
26 March 2020: Limitation on members of the public entering courthouses during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 (PDF, 161 KB) 25 March 2020: Court operations at Alert Level 4 (PDF, 213 KB) 23 March 2020: Rise to Alert Level 4 - Eliminate on Wednesday at 11:59 pm (PDF, 255 KB) 22 March 2020: COVID-19 Arrangements for New Zealand courts following the Prime Minister's statement (PDF, 222 KB) 18 March 2020: COVID-19 Suspension of new jury trials (PDF, 181 KB) 13 March 2020: Planning for possible effects of a COVID-19 outbreak on court business (PDF, 186 KB) |
March media releases from Chief Justice Winkelmann26 March 2020: Limitations on public access to courthouses (PDF, 182 KB) 25 March 2020: Note from Chief Justice Winkelmann (PDF, 155 KB) 23 March 2020: Rise to Level 4 Alert - Eliminate on Wednesday at 11:59 pm (PDF, 226 KB) 22 March 2020: Alert Level 3 rising to Level 4 - Eliminate (PDF, 179 KB) 18 March 2020: New jury trials will be suspended (PDF, 134 KB) |
Related pages
Ministry of Justice - Participating in a virtual meeting room - court hearing
Participating in a virtual meeting room
Courts of New Zealand website
Judgments of Public Interest (JPI) and Supreme Court Decisions
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District Court information
The District Court During COVID-19 Pandemic Response Period
Ministry of Justice website
Ministry of Justice COVID-19 information hub