The court confirmed the sittings that would be permitted to push through during this period
The New Zealand District Court has released the year-end shutdown schedule for 2025.
Per a memo by chief District Court judge Heemi Taumaunu, all District Court registries must close at 3:00pm on 24 December. The following registries must remain closed until 9 January 2026:
The following will be closed until 16 January 2026:
The chief judge instructed registrars to post the closure times in prominent locations that are publicly accessible.
Taumaunu also issued directions regarding the District Court sittings that would be permitted to take place during the holiday shutdown per r 2.2 of the District Court Rules 2014 and in line with feedback from the principal Family Court judge and principal Youth Court judge.
Taumaunu confirmed that all arrest courts’ sittings would push through, including those scheduled for New Year’s Day. All Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment courts sittings would take place as well.
Applications under Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 would be processed, as would Youth Court reviews of orders under s 238 of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 | Children’s and Young People’s Well-being Act 1989.
Urgent applications to the Family Court like those made under s 16 of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 will be processed as well. Urgent Family Court applications will be managed through eDuty.
On 24 December, urgent applications must be filed by 12:00pm. On other days during the shutdown, the cutoff time is 2:00pm so that applications can be logged in eDuty by 3:00pm; all applications after 2:00pm will be processed on the next court working day.
Judges may tackle matters they decide must be disposed of, and only matters a judge considers very urgent may be handled on a Sunday, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
