Court and Tribunal hours – December 2025 & January 2026

Courts and tribunals will be closed during the holiday period. Reopening dates vary, starting from Monday 5 January 2026, with all locations open by Monday 19 January 2026. Confirmed dates for each location are below.

If you have any questions, call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787).

Courts and Tribunals Operating Hours 2025/26

Senior Courts

Supreme Court
The Chief Justice has determined the following:

Close: 5pm, Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

Court of Appeal
The President of the Court of Appeal has determined the following:

Close: 5pm, Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

High Court
Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Invercargill, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangārei (rule 3.2 High Court Rules 2016)

Close: 5pm, Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

 

Emergency Contacts:

John Richardson	027 474 3995	Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga
Jane Penney	027 509 3918	Gisborne, New Plymouth, Napier, Whanganui, Palmerston North & Masterton
Sharon Graham	027 553 4338	Nelson, Blenheim, Greymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin & Invercargill

District Court Operating Hours 2025/2026

District Court

Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Levin, Manukau, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Papakura, Palmerston North, Porirua, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Waitakere, Wellington, Whakatane, Whanganui, Whangārei

Close: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

 

Ashburton, Dannevirke, Hāwera, Huntly, Kaikohe, Kaitāia, Morrinsville, Pukekohe, Taihape, Taumarunui, Taupō, Thames, Tokoroa, Wairoa

Close: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 12 January 2026 (unless gazetted otherwise)

 

Alexandra, Gore, Westport

Closes: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2024
Opens: 9am, Monday 19 January 2026 (unless gazetted otherwise)

 

The following courts are Hearing Courts. They will not be open over the Christmas and New Year’s period and will resume hearings as rostered in the New Year:

Chatham Islands, Dargaville, Kaikōura, Marton, Newmarket, Oamaru, Ohakune, Ōpōtiki, Ruatōria, Te Awamutu, Te Kūiti, Waihi, and Waipukurau

 

Special Jurisdictions

Employment Courts

Close: 5pm, Tuesday 23 December 2025

Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

Environment Courts

Close: 5pm, Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

Māori Land Courts

Close: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 10am, Monday 5 January 2026

Coroners Court

Close: 5pm, Tuesday 23 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

The National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO) will remain open 24 hours a day.

 

Tribunals Unit

Auckland:

Close: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

 

Wellington:

Close: 3pm, Wednesday 24 December 2025

Open: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026

Urgent Family Court applications

Family Courts will provide a national service for urgent applications over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Urgent applications will continue to be managed via the eDuty platform. Court staff and duty judges will be available to deal with applications on the following days:

 

Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Mon
23 Dec 2025	24 Dec 2025	25 Dec 2025	26 Dec 2025	29 Dec 2025
	- Applications close 12:00pm -  All Registries close 3:00pm			- Applications close 2:00pm
Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Mon
30 Dec 2025	31 Dec 2025	1 Jan 2026	2 Jan 2026	5 Jan 2026
- Applications close 2:00pm	- Applications close 2:00pm			-  Larger Courts reopen 9:00am - Applications close 2:00pm

 

	National eDuty service available
	Closed for observed statutory holiday

 

All urgent Family Court applications are required to be submitted to the registry by 2.00pm (exception 12pm on 24 December) on the days above in order for them to be processed. Any applications received after that time will be considered the following court day.

The process for urgent Family Court applications will go back to normal on Monday 5 January 2026.

Mental Health

Judges will be available to deal with any urgent applications made to the Family Court for a review of a patient’s condition, section 16 of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.

Arrest Courts

Any persons arrested over the holiday period will be brought to the nearest available court for the initial appearance before a Judge, Community Magistrate or Justice of the Peace. “Arrested” includes those arrested on new charges, on warrant or for breach of bail.

If bail is sought and it is not within jurisdiction of the judicial officer presiding at the first appearance, then any remand in custody (unless there is consent otherwise) must be adjourned to the next working day. This will allow the bail application to be dealt with via AVL from the prison (or police station) to the nearest, or most convenient, court where a judge is rostered to sit.

Electronically Monitored Bail Applications

The EM Admin team will be processing the applications throughout the Christmas and holiday period (only being closed on statutory holidays). Applications filed on the 8th of December and sent to the EM Bail Team by 10:00am (or 15th December 10am for Youth Court Applications) may be scheduled for hearing from 23rd December subject to hearing time and counsel availability. Please ensure the EM Bail Team is advised of any such adjournments over the holiday period so arrangements can be made for potential installations of equipment as early as possible.