High Court of New Zealand
| High Court of New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa (Māori) | |
| Established | 1841 |
| Jurisdiction | New Zealand |
| Location | Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and other main centres |
| Authorised by | Senior Courts Act 2016 |
| Appeals to | Court of Appeal |
| Appeals from | Various tribunals |
| Number of positions | Maximum of 45 full permanent judges and 7 associate judges |
| Website | http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/ |
| Chief High Court Judge of New Zealand | |
| Currently | The Hon Justice Sally Fitzgerald |
| Since | 2023 |
| New Zealand portal |
The High Court of New Zealand (Māori: Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa) is the superior court of general jurisdiction of New Zealand. Rules relating to the jurisdiction of the Court and its Judges are contained in the Senior Courts Act 2016, and its procedure is governed by the High Court Rules 2016, although it also has an inherent jurisdiction. There are 18 High Court locations throughout New Zealand, and one stand-alone registry.
The High Court was established as the "Supreme Court of New Zealand" in 1841. The name was changed in 1980 following the recommendation of the Report of the Royal Commission on the Courts in 1978, which meant that the name "Supreme Court" was available for the Supreme Court of New Zealand which was established in 2004 as the final appellate court for the country.
The High Court is a court of first instance for serious criminal cases such as homicide, civil claims exceeding $350,000, and certain other civil cases. In its appellate function, the High Court hears appeals from the District Court, other lower courts and various tribunals.