In its civil jurisdiction, the District Court resolves disputes between individuals or organisations. A person who feels they have been wronged may bring a claim and, if successful, be awarded a remedy such as compensation. The District Court can hear claims up to a value of $350,000.

Examples of common claims in the District Court include:

• contractual disputes (where one party has not performed their obligations under an agreement)
• negligence (such as where services have not been provided with reasonable skill)
• restraining orders (where a person is seeking an order to prevent harassment).

The District Court does not have jurisdiction to hear disputes regarding:

• the recovery of land (with some exceptions)
• interpretation of wills, or
• judicial review.

Note: Disputes of less than $30,000 may be able to be heard in the Disputes Tribunal.

Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand(external link)

More information

There's more information about Civil Court proceedings on the Ministry of Justice website.

Civil on the Ministry of Justice website(external link)