A Request for Submissions

The Rules Committee is pleased to issue for consultation the District Courts Rules 2007. These Rules will revise and replace the District Courts Rules 1992.

The Committee would be most grateful if you or your organisation will consider the Rules as presently drafted and make any submissions you consider will be helpful.

The rules and associated documents are accessible from the following links:

District Courts Rules 2007 consultation paper [168 Kb]
District Courts Rules 2007 [PDF 804 Kb]
District Court Claims paper - 23 August 2004 [196 Kb]
District Courts Claims follow-up paper - 18 April 2005 [55 Kb]

The consultation paper explains the proposed scheme of the Rules and outlines the nature and genesis of the significant substantive changes proposed. Of particular note, the front end of the process for starting a civil proceeding under the District Courts Act 1947 has been changed.

The District Courts Rules 2007 is the proposed set of rules.

The other two documents regarding the District Courts Claims paper are previous consultation documents which together illuminate various considerations influencing the current set of proposed rules. The Committee recommends reading these documents as they provide important background information to the current rules.

Submissions or comments should be made to reach the Clerk of the Rules Committee, Dr Heather McKenzie, by no later than 31 October 2007.

Her contact details are:

Heather McKenzie
Clerk to the Rules Committee
Auckland High Court
PO Box 60
AUCKLAND
rulescommittee@justice.govt.nz

The Rules Committee is very keen to receive the response of the legal profession and of relevant organisations. Once the revised rules are introduced, they will govern procedure in the District Court for probably the next 20 or 25 years.

Justice David Baragwanath
13 August 2007