Application for
access to court documents
When to use this form
Fill in this form if you want access to court documents in a New Zealand court.
You will need to fill in your contact details on this form. In some circumstances the Registrar will
provide your name and address to the parties to the relevant proceeding or appeal (or to their
lawyer). Please see page 2 of this form or contact the court for more information.
Sending in your application
You can email, post or hand this form in to the court that holds the records you want to access.
If you’re emailing, you’ll need to print out step 3 (which needs your signature), sign it, then scan it.
Contact details for courts are on the Ministry of Justice website at
justice.govt.nz/contact-us/find-us
Getting more information
Contact the court you have sent your application to by calling 0800 268 787 (if you’re in New
Zealand) or +64 9 583 1900 (if you’re not in New Zealand).
Information about access to court information can be found in section 6 of the
Media guide for
reporting the courts and tribunals (edition 3.1, July 2013). The media guide is available on the
Ministry of Justice website at justice.govt.nz/about/news-and-media/media-centre/media-information/
media-guide-for-reporting-the-courts-and-tribunals-edition-4-1/
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
1
Step 1. Write down your details
Your name and organisation (if applicable)
Lawyer (if acting)
Contact details
Your address
For Court use only:
Postal address, if different from the above
Email
Contact phone numbers
business
mobile
Important information for applicant:
For Criminal, Civil and appeal proceedings:
It is important to note that in some circumstances the Registrar will provide a copy of your request
(including your name and address) to the parties to the relevant proceeding or appeal (or to their
lawyer).
If you do not have a right of access to the court documents, the parties will be sent a copy of pages
3 and 4 of this form, as well as your name and address, and given the option to object to your
application. This process is a requirement of Rule 11 of the District Court (Access to Court
Documents) Rules 2017 and Senior Courts (Access to Court Documents) Rules 2017.
In criminal proceedings the parties are the prosecution and the defendant. In civil proceedings
the parties are the applicant and the respondent, or the plaintiff and the defendant. On appeal,
the parties are the appellant and the respondent.
For Family Court proceedings:
For information on accessing Family Court documents, please refer to the Family Court Rules 2002.
For all requests:
Your postal address, email and contact phone numbers will be used by court staff to administer your
request, including to contact you if the court requires any further information.
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
2
Step 2. Write down what documents you want
to look at and any proposed conditions
You might not know all the information asked in this step. Please tell us as much as you can.
I want to access court documents about:
Case name
Case number
Case type:
Civil (I am asking for access to the documents under the District Court (Access to Court
Documents) Rules 2017 or Senior Courts (Access to Court Documents) Rules 2017)
Family (I am asking for access to the documents under the Family Court Rules 2002)
Criminal (I am asking for access to the documents under the District Court (Access to Court
Documents) Rules 2017 or Senior Courts (Access to Court Documents) Rules 2017)
Defendant
Prosecutor
Defendant’s lawyer
The documents I want to access are:
I want to look at these documents because:
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
3
Please provide any conditions that you would be prepared to meet were a Judge to impose those conditions
on the right to access:
(For example, conditions that prevent or restrict you from disclosing the document or contents of the
document, or conditions that enable you to view but not copy the document)
Step 3. Sign and date the form
If you’re emailing in this form, you’ll need to print out this page, sign it, then scan it.
Your name
Signature
Date
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
4
Step 4. Send in your application
Send in this form
You must email, post or hand this form in to the court that holds the records you want to
access.
If you’re emailing this form, you’ll need to print out step 3 (which needs your signature),
sign it, then scan it.
Contact details for courts are on the Ministry of Justice website at justice.govt.nz/contact-
us/find-us
What happens next?
A Judge (or a Registrar in some matters) at the relevant court will then review
your application. You will be contacted as soon as possible with their decision.
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
5
For Court use only
Court use only
Received by
NAME & POSITION
COURT NAME
Date
DATE FORM RECEIVED
Forwarded to
for action.
JUDGE/REGISTRAR
Judge/Registrar use only
Approved
Declined
Date
Signed
Name
Notes
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS
6
Document Outline
