Court and Tribunal Hours – December 2026 and January 2027

Courts and tribunals will be closed during the holiday period. Reopening dates vary, starting from Tuesday 5 January 2027, with all locations open by Monday 18 January 2027. Confirmed dates for each location are below. 

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


Courts and Tribunals Operating Hours 2026/27

The Chief Justice has determined the following:
Close: 5pm, Wednesday 23 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Emergency Contacts:

Court of Appeal

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

Close: 5pm, Wednesday 23 December 2026

Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Emergency Contacts:

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, Wednesday 23 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Emergency Contacts:

District Court Operating Hours 2026/2027

District Court

Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hutt Valley, Invercargill, Levin, Manukau, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North, Porirua, Pukekohe, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Waitakere, Wellington, Whakatane, Whanganui, Whangārei
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Ashburton, Dannevirke, Hāwera, Huntly, Kaikohe, Kaitāia, Morrinsville, Taihape, Taumarunui, Taupō, Thames, Tokoroa, Wairoa
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December 2026
Open: 9am, Monday 11 January 2027 (unless gazetted otherwise)

Alexandra, Gore, Papakura, Westport

Closes: 3pm, Thursday 24 December 2026

Opens: 9am, Monday 18 January 2027 (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, Wednesday 23 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Environment Courts

Close: 5pm, Wednesday 23 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Māori Land Courts

Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December 2026
Open: 10am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Coroners Court

Close: 5pm, Thursday 24 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027
The National Initial Investigation Office (NIIO) will remain open 24 hours a day.

Tribunals Unit
Auckland
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

Wellington
Close: 3pm, Thursday 24 December 2026
Open: 9am, Tuesday 5 January 2027

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:  

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 Tuesday 5 January 2027.

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). Adult applications filed on or before 10 December 2026 and youth applications filed on or before 17 December 2026 should be sent to the EM Bail Team by 10:00am on the relevant filing date. These applications may be able to be heard before Christmas, subject to court scheduling, hearing time availability, and counsel availability.

Adult applications filed from 11 December 2026 and youth applications filed from 18 December 2026 should ideally be scheduled for hearing from 11 January 2027 onwards. Please ensure the EM Bail Team is advised of any adjournments over the holiday period so arrangements can be made for potential equipment installations as early as possible.

If there are any queries regarding the above timeframes, please don't hesitate to contact the Electronically Monitored Bail Team, on 0800EMBAIL or emteamadmin@corrections.govt.nz

Urgent Harmful Digital Communications Act applications

Judges will be available to deal with any urgent applications filed under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 during the Christmas and New Year period.

Urgent High Court applications

Urgent High Court applications can be made during the Christmas and New Year period. Please ring the emergency contact for the relevant court or circuit as noted below. The court contact person will make arrangements for a duty registrar.

Any urgent applications to be heard over the Christmas – New Year period will only be heard in the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch High Court registries.

Court and Tribunal Hours December 2026 - January 2027 (PDF, 228 KB)