In this section you can read the latest District Court Annual Report and access reports from past years.

Read the 2023 Annual Report [PDF, 8.9 MB]

Te Kōti-ā-Rohe o Aotearoa District Court of New Zealand is the largest court in Australasia. This annual report gives readers an insight into the work of the court and its judicial officers, spanning the criminal, family, youth and civil jurisdictions and 59 courthouses and hearing centres across the country.

It contains reports from each jurisdiction and discusses the priorities and pressing concerns of our court in 2023. You will find statistics on the volumes of work coming in and out of our courts, alongside vignettes of judges in each jurisdiction that give a more personal sense of the daily work involved in our court.

This year, whenever I sat in courts around the country, I experienced court days that were fast paced and highly pressured. It was extremely reassuring to feel the collegial support, sheer hard work, dedication and commitment of my judicial colleagues.

I acknowledge the remarkable effort of those colleagues – alongside that of court staff, counsel and wider stakeholders – in ensuring our courts continued to operate throughout the past three extremely challenging years.

At times, we had to find innovative solutions to deal with unprecedented circumstances and in some cases, such as our local solutions framework, we have adapted those solutions and continued to use them. This year, we have had to contend with the aftermath of the pandemic, as well as extreme weather. It has been a time of stress and heavy workload for everyone in the justice sector and that has taken its toll on people’s wellbeing.

Amid that, the court has continued to conduct its business and to make significant progress on our important projects, as detailed in this report. That is a result of the resolve and effort of many.

Thank you to my judicial colleagues for performing a difficult role under trying circumstances. Thank you also to our court staff, members of the legal profession and Ministry of Justice, Police, Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections and Oranga Tamariki staff who support the operation of the court. You all make an immense contribution. I also extend my thanks to those who have helped us begin the process of becoming a court that is better connected to the communities we serve.

Ngā mihi,

Heemi Taumaunu

Chief District Court Judge