Our District Courts
Welcome to the District Courts website.
The New Zealand District Courts have general jurisdiction for jury trials (where the maximum sentence is less than life imprisonment), all summary criminal matters and civil actions up to a value of $200,000.
The Family and Youth Courts are divisions of the District Court. You can access the Family Court and Youth Court websites through these pages.
There are 133 District Court Judges. This includes the Principal Judges and Judges of the Environment Court.
In addition to the Judges there are 52 Disputes Tribunal Referees and approximately 400 Justices of the Peace. They will often deal with minor offences instead of a judge.
Applications from media to cover a District Court fixture can be sent to the email address listed here. Information about the new ‘3 day rule’ protocol and how to make an application can be found here.
Please contact your local Court to find out more information. These pages will help you locate your local Court.
