The Chief Justice through recent publications to the profession has clarified how Courts intend to operate under Alert Level 4 in New Zealand.
Each Court has also released its own protocols providing helpful guidance for litigants, which can be viewed on the Courts of New Zealand website.
The District Court is only conducting Priority Proceedings during Alert Level 4. All other proceedings in the District Court are being delayed to a later date. For our clients who are affected by this, you can expect to hear from us, often after we have obtained clarification from the Court Registrars who are allocating new hearing dates.
The High Court is continuing to conduct all matters, albeit remotely – with exceptions which seem to be proceeding on a case-by-case basis. The fortnightly High Court Civil and Insolvency list has been deferred until further notice. Jury trials are being adjourned and rescheduled to later dates.
Currently we are drawing on our expertise with AV technology and paperless files to continue to assist our clients with current and future claims in this evolving situation. For suitable claims we are working with clients on develop alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation and negotiation through AVL, to maintain momentum.
If you have any questions about how our Dispute Resolution team can assist you during Alert Level 4 or if would like information on other Courts, please don’t hesitate to contact us.