High Court of New Zealand

High Court of New Zealand
Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa (Māori)
Established1841
JurisdictionNew Zealand
LocationAuckland, Wellington, Christchurch and other main centres
Authorised bySenior Courts Act 2016
Appeals toCourt of Appeal
Appeals from
Various tribunals
Number of positionsMaximum of 45 full permanent judges plus associate judges
Websitehttp://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/
Chief High Court Judge of New Zealand
CurrentlyThe Hon Justice Sally Fitzgerald
Since2023

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.[1] 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.[2] The name was changed in 1980[3] following the recommendation of the Report of the Royal Commission on the Courts in 1978[4], 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.[5]

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.

Composition and locations

The High Court comprises the Chief Justice (who is head of the judiciary) and up to 60 other permanent Judges (including the Justices of the Supreme Court and the Justices of the Court of Appeal). The administrative head of the court is known as the Chief High Court Judge. Associate Judges of the High Court (called Masters up until May 2004) supervise the Court's preliminary processes in most civil proceedings, and have jurisdiction to deal with summary judgment applications, company liquidations, bankruptcy proceedings, and some other types of civil proceedings.

The High Court Judges and Associate Judges are based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, but also travel on circuit to Whangārei, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Napier, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Nelson, Blenheim, Greymouth, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. The Court also has a registry in Masterton but does not hear cases there.

Jurisdiction

Criminal matters

The High Court deals with the most serious types of criminal offences that exceed the District Court's jurisdiction. It deals with all category 4 offences, including murder, manslaughter and treason,[6] as well as any other offence where the accused is likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment or preventive detention. A High Court Judge may direct that a serious category 2 and 3 "protocol" offence, such as aggravated wounding with intent, kidnapping or sexual violation of a child, be transferred from the District Court to the High Court for hearing.[7] Most cases are heard before a Judge and jury, but may sometimes be heard before a Judge alone.

Civil matters

The Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all civil claims where the amount in dispute exceeds $350,000, and certain categories of proceedings. The categories of proceeding which can only be commenced in the High Court includes matters concerning admiralty, certain applications relating to land (such as seeking its transfer or caveats), company law including liquidations, bankruptcy, the administration of estates and trusts, and trade mark and patent infringement. For civil claims of up to $350,000, the High Court can have co-extensive jurisdiction with the District Court.

Appellate function

Rights of appeal to the High Court exist against civil and criminal decisions of the District Court (except for jury trials), the Family Court, the Youth Court and the Environment Court and numerous administrative tribunals and regulatory bodies.

Cited cases

Main article: List of cases of the High Court of New Zealand

Judges of the High Court

Judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are also technically Judges of the High Court.[8]

The Senior Courts Act 2016 limits the number of permanent judges of the High Court to 60 FTE excluding the Chief Justice. That figure includes permanent Judges of the Supreme Court (maximum of 5 plus the Chief Justice) and the Court of Appeal (maximum of 10). In practical terms this means a maximum of 45 full time equivalent permanent full High Court judges, an increase of five as a result of the Judicature (Timeliness) Legislation Amendment Act 2025. Prior to the 2025 amendment, the cap on the number of Judges had remained static since 2004.

As with judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, High Court judges must retire upon attaining the age of 70 years[9] but are eligible for appointment as an Acting Judge up until the age of 75, provided that the term of acting Judge is no more than two years at a time.[10]

The following are the permanent Judges of the High Court as of March 2026:[11]

Name Appointed Resident court Notes
Sally Fitzgerald 2016 Auckland [12] Chief High Court Judge (20 December 2023 – present)[13]
Geoffrey Venning 2002 Auckland [14] Former Chief High Court Judge (1 June 2015 – 31 May 2020)[13]
Graham Lang 2005 Auckland [15]
Mary Peters 2010 Auckland [16]
Cameron Mander 2013 Christchurch [17]
Rachel Dunningham 2014 Christchurch [18]
Mathew Downs 2016 Auckland [19]
Peter Churchman KC 2017 Wellington [20]
Pheroze Jagose 2017 Auckland [21]
Gerard van Bohemen 2017 Auckland [22]
Christine Grice CNZM 2018 Wellington [23]
Grant Powell 2018 Auckland [24]
Ian Gault 2018 Auckland [25]
Tracey Walker 2019 Auckland [26]
Melanie Harland 2020 Auckland [27]
Andru Isac KC 2020 Wellington [27]
Michael Robinson 2021 Auckland [28]
Jonathan Eaton KC 2021 Christchurch [29][30]
Layne Harvey 2021 Auckland [31]
Kiri Tahana 2022 Auckland [32]
Helen McQueen 2022 Wellington [33]
Peter Andrew 2022 Auckland [34]
David Johnstone 2022 Auckland [35]
Paul Radich KC 2023 Wellington [36]
Andrew Becroft QSO 2023 Auckland [37]
Jane Anderson KC 2023 Auckland [38]
Lisa Preston KC 2023 Christchurch [39]
Laura O’Gorman KC 2023 Auckland [40]
Dale La Hood 2023 Wellington [41]
Karen Grau 2024 Wellington [42]
Michele Wilkinson-Smith 2024 Auckland [43]
Jason McHerron 2024 Wellington [44]
David Boldt 2024 Wellington [45]
Greg Blanchard KC 2024 Auckland [46]
Dani Gardiner 2024 Auckland [47]
Simon Mount KC 2025 Auckland [48]
James MacGillivray 2025 Auckland [49]
Owen Paulsen 2025 Christchurch [50]
Michael Arthur 2025 Auckland [51]
Amokura Kawharu 2026 Auckland [52]
Victoria Heine KC 2026 Wellington [53]
Brett Tantrum 2026 Auckland With effect from 30 March 2026[54]
Natalie Walker 2026 Auckland With effect from 28 May 2026[55]

In addition, the following hold current warrants as acting Judges of the High Court as of March 2026:[56]

Name Resident court Period of appointment[57]
Christine Gordon KC Auckland 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026[58]
Robert Osborne Christchurch 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026[59]

Associate Judges of the High Court

Associate Judges have more limited jurisdiction than full High Court judges. They deal with caveats, company liquidations, bankruptcy applications, summary judgment applications, other interlocutory applications, and case management.

Associate Judges are appointed under the Senior Courts Act 2016 and their jurisdiction and related matters are set out in that statute. Unlike full judges, there is no statutory limit on the number of Associate Judges. The Judicial Protocol[60] states that there are up to 9 Associate Judges.

The following are the Associate Judges of the High Court as of February 2026:[61]

Name Appointed Resident court Notes
Kenneth Johnston KC 2018 Wellington Appointed the Chairperson of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) as of 1 May 2023
Dale Lester 2018 Christchurch
Rachel Sussock 2020 Auckland
Grant Brittain KC 2020 Auckland
Andrew Skelton 2023 Wellington
Paul Cogswell 2024 Auckland
Liz Gellert 2025 Auckland
Helen Wild 2026 Auckland
Bill Gambrill 2026 Auckland With effect from 30 March 2026

In addition, the following holds a current warrant as an acting Associate Judge of the High Court as of March 2026:

Name Resident court Period of appointment[62]
Clive Taylor Auckland 10 March 2026 to 31 December 2026[63]

Relationship with Australian courts

The Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 (NZ), the Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 (Aust) and the High Court Rules 2016 streamline the process for resolving civil proceedings with a trans-Tasman element. The Acts cover many matters including service, interim relief, hearing matters remotely and the enforcement of judgments of courts of the other country.

See also

References

  1. ^ "History and role – Courts of New Zealand". www.courtsofnz.govt.nz. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Judicature Amendment Act 1979". New Zealand Legislation. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Judicature Amendment Act 1979" (PDF). Governor-General of New Zealand. 10 August 1978. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  4. ^ "History and role – Courts of New Zealand". www.courtsofnz.govt.nz. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  5. ^ Criminal Procedure Act 2011, section 74(3).
  6. ^ Criminal Procedure Act 2011, sections 66 to 70.
  7. ^ Senior Courts Act 2016, s 104.
  8. ^ Senior Courts Act 2016, s 133
  9. ^ Senior Courts Act 2016, s 113
  10. ^ "The Judges and Associate Judges of the High Court". Courts of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Appointment of Judges of the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Judicial appointments announced". The Beehive.
  13. ^ "High Court Judge appointed". beehive.govt.nz. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  14. ^ "Appointment of High Court Judge". beehive.govt.nz. 26 July 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  15. ^ "New high Court Judge appointed". beehive.govt.nz. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  16. ^ "High Court Judge appointed". beehive.govt.nz. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  17. ^ "High Court Judge appointed". beehive.govt.nz. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Appointment of Judges of the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Appointment of Judge of the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  20. ^ "Appointment of Judge of the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  21. ^ "Gerard van Bohemen appointed High Court Judge". NZ Law Society. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  22. ^ "Appointment of Judge to the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  23. ^ "High Court Judge appointment announced". NZ Law Society. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  24. ^ "Appointment of Judges of the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Appointment of Judge of the High Court". beehive.govt.nz. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  26. ^ a b "Appointment of Judges of the High Court". The Beehive.
  27. ^ "Appointment of Judge of the High Court".
  28. ^ Parker, David (7 October 2021). "Judge and Associate Judge of High Court appointed". Beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  29. ^ Guildford, Jonathan (7 October 2021). "Prominent Christchurch lawyer Jonathan Eaton QC appointed High Court judge". Stuff. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  30. ^ Parker, David (15 October 2021). "Judge of the High Court appointed". Beehive.govt.nz.
  31. ^ Parker, David (8 April 2022). "High Court Judge appointed". Beehive.govt.nz.
  32. ^ Parker, David (1 June 2022). "HAppointment of Judges of Court of Appeal and High Court". Beehive.govt.nz.
  33. ^ Parker, David (14 November 2022). "Appointment of Judge and Associate Judge of the High Court". The Beehive. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  34. ^ Parker, David (2 December 2022). "Appointment of Judge of the High Court". The Beehive. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  35. ^ Parker, David (6 April 2023). "Appointment of Judge of the High Court and Associate Judge of the High Court". The Beehive. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  36. ^ Parker, David (17 March 2023). "Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High Court". The Beehive. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  37. ^ Parker, David (10 May 2023). "Appointment of High Court Judge". The Beehive. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  38. ^ Parker, David (14 August 2023). "Appointment of High Court Judge". The Beehive. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  39. ^ Parker, David (9 August 2023). "Appointment of High Court Judge". The Beehive. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  40. ^ Parker, David (22 August 2023). "Appointment of High Court Judge". The Beehive. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  41. ^ Collins, Judith (20 December 2023). "Judicial appointments announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  42. ^ Collins, Judith (26 January 2024). "High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  43. ^ Collins, Judith (20 December 2023). "High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  44. ^ Collins, Judith (19 April 2024). "Judicial appointments announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  45. ^ Collins, Judith (14 June 2024). "High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  46. ^ Collins, Judith (25 October 2024). "Judicial appointments announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  47. ^ Collins, Judith (11 April 2025). "New High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  48. ^ Collins, Judith (16 May 2025). "New High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  49. ^ Collins, Judith (10 October 2025). "Judicial appointments announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  50. ^ Collins, Judith (21 November 2025). "Judicial Appointments announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  51. ^ Collins, Judith (21 November 2025). "Judicial Appointments announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  52. ^ Collins, Judith (19 December 2025). "New High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  53. ^ Collins, Judith (20 February 2026). "New High Court Judge appointed". The Beehive.
  54. ^ Collins, Judith (13 March 2026). "Judicial appointments announced". The Beehive.
  55. ^ "Acting Judges of the High Court". Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  56. ^ Refers to period of current warrant and excludes and previous warrants as a Judge or Acting Judge
  57. ^ "Acting Judges of the High Court". Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  58. ^ "Acting Judges of the High Court". Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  59. ^ "Judicial Protocol (updated October 2023)" (PDF). Crown Law Office. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  60. ^ "The Judges and Associate Judges of the High Court". Courts of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  61. ^ Refers to period of current warrant and excludes and previous warrants as a Judge or Acting Judge
  62. ^ "Acting Judges of the High Court". Retrieved 11 March 2026.
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