High Court Civil Proceedings Case Volumes - for the 12 months ending 31 December 2015

Originating applications
High Court New business Disposals * Total active as at 31 December 2015*
Auckland 428 402 143
Blenheim 5 10 1
Christchurch 81 89 24
Dunedin 17 11 8
Gisborne 6 3 5
Greymouth 0 0 0
Hamilton 36 38 17
Invercargill 11 11 3
Masterton 1 1 1
Napier 12 8 7
Nelson 13 10 4
New Plymouth 8 4 6
Palmerston North 19 21 8
Rotorua 16 16 6
Tauranga 12 16 3
Timaru 3 3 1
Whanganui 4 5 1
Wellington 91 89 41
Whangarei 27 22 7
National total 790 759 286

 

 

Judicial review
High Court New business Disposals * Total active as at 31 December 2015*
Auckland 115 94 65
Blenheim 2 1 2
Christchurch 12 16 7
Dunedin 1 2 0
Gisborne 0 1 0
Greymouth 0 0 0
Hamilton 3 4 2
Invercargill 3 3 2
Masterton 1 1 0
Napier 0 0 0
Nelson 0 1 0
New Plymouth 0 0 0
Palmerston North 2 1 1
Rotorua 7 6 0
Tauranga 8 4 9
Timaru 1 0 1
Whanganui 0 0 0
Wellington 52 37 42
Whangarei 5 3 5
National total 212 174 136

 

 

General proceedings
High Court New business Disposals * Total active as at 31 December 2015*
Auckland 722 679 725
Blenheim 11 7 12
Christchurch 184 234 353
Dunedin 22 29 22
Gisborne 7 3 11
Greymouth 6 7 3
Hamilton 63 58 63
Invercargill 18 19 18
Masterton 3 2 6
Napier 25 27 30
Nelson 16 18 27
New Plymouth 11 15 13
Palmerston North 24 17 29
Rotorua 21 21 19
Tauranga 40 55 45
Timaru 19 15 15
Whanganui 4 4 2
Wellington 277 277 168
Whangarei 35 36 39
National total 1508 1523 1600

 

Total civil cases
High Court New business Disposals * Total active as at 31 December 2015*
Auckland 1,265 1,175 933
Blenheim 18 18 15
Christchurch 277 339 384
Dunedin 40 42 30
Gisborne 13 7 16
Greymouth 6 7 3
Hamilton 102 100 82
Invercargill 32 33 23
Masterton 5 4 7
Napier 37 35 37
Nelson 29 29 31
New Plymouth 19 19 19
Palmerston North 45 39 38
Rotorua 44 43 25
Tauranga 60 75 57
Timaru 23 18 17
Whanganui 8 9 3
Wellington 420 403 251
Whangarei 67 61 51
National total 2,510 2,456 2,022

Note:

Masterton is a filing-only registry for the High Court; civil proceedings filed in Masterton are generally heard in Wellington.

Definitions

New business

HC civil

New business includes cases that have been deemed ready for a defended hearing with a High Court judge, and is limited to general proceedings, originating applications, judicial review proceedings, and defended interlocutory applications.

Disposals at completion of sentence, delivery of final judgment or earlier outcome

HC civil

The sum of cases disposed following being deemed ready for a defended hearing with a High Court judge, where disposal for a given case was counted at the delivery of final judgment, or earlier outcome. It is limited to general proceedings, originating applications, judicial review proceedings, and defended interlocutory applications.

Total active cases - all cases awaiting substantive hearing or awaiting sentencing, final judgment or final outcome

HC civil

Active cases are those cases which have been deemed ready for a defended hearing with a High Court judge, are awaiting defended hearing or are awaiting final judgment. It is limited to general proceedings, originating applications, judicial review proceedings, and defended interlocutory applications.

Notes:

Substantive hearing: refer to jury trial/defended hearing for criminal jurisdiction, short/simplified/full trial/substantive hearing for civil jurisdiction, short/long cause hearing for family jurisdiction in general.