Special Jurisdictions

Specialist Courts and Tribunals are expert forums for the hearing and resolution of specific disputes of fact and/or law.

Legislation or regulation, generally establishes their functions or powers and the extent of their authority.

In most instances a right of appeal exists against the rulings they make. The appeal paths can been seen here.

The scope of work that these Courts and Tribunals undertake is extensive. The type of cases brought before these bodies are wide ranging and can include:

• a dispute between individuals over the cost to build a fence;
• claims brought by Māori relating to actions or omissions of the Crown, which allegedly breach promises made in the Treaty of Waitangi;
• declaring the meaning and intent of a provision of the Resource Management Act;
• granting the right of succession to the ownership of a parcel of Māori land;
• investigating and determining the causes and circumstances around certain deaths; and
• ruling on the legality of a strike by employees or a lockout by an employer.

The Special Jurisdictions Group also provides services that are not directly related to the support of these Courts and Tribunals including:

• Māori Land Advisory Services - a service to Māori land owners;
• Payment of Certifying Consultants appointed under the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977;and
• The contracting of mortuary facilities.

The Special Jurisdictions Group itself is comprised of six business units:

• The Employment Court Unit;
• The Environment Court Unit;
• The Māori Land Court Unit;
• The Coronial Services Unit;
• The Tribunals Unit; and
• The Waitangi Tribunal.

Brief summaries for each of these units of the Special Jurisdictions Group follow. By clicking on the links provided you can discover additional information about them.

Employment Court Unit

The Employment Court Unit delivers case management, hearing management, judicial support, and court registry services.

There are registries located in Auckland and Wellington with courtrooms located in these centres as well as in Christchurch (where they are shared with the Māori Land Court). The Court will travel to hear cases in other locations in certain instances.

Environment Court Unit

The Environment Court Unit delivers case management, hearing management, alternative disputes resolution (specifically mediation) judicial support and court registry services.

The Environment Court Unit operates out of registries in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Sittings of the Court, judicial conferences and mediations are held right throughout the country.

Māori Land Court Unit

The Maori Land Court Unit provides information services and mobile advisory services direct to Māori, as well as administrative, case processing and judicial support for the Māori Land Court and the Māori Appellate Court.

It also supports Taiapure Local Fisheries Tribunals, which are established from time to time to hear cases under the Fisheries Act 1996.

The Unit operates from registries in Whangarei, Hamilton, Rotorua, Gisborne, Wanganui, Hastings and Christchurch.

There are also Māori Land Information Offices at Papatoetoe (Auckland) and Turangi and a national office in Wellington.

Advisory services staff are frequently required to travel to outlying districts to meet with clients in their own homes or on marae.

Tribunals Unit

The Tribunals Unit delivers case management, hearing management, judicial support, registry services, and other specialised services such as committee servicing, contract management, and specific administration services.

The Tribunals Unit operates out of offices in Auckland and Wellington although sittings are held throughout the country.

The Unit has arrangements with the District Courts Unit Unit for staff in District Courts to manage hearings throughout the country – particularly for the Disputes and Tenancy Tribunals.

Coronial Services Unit

The new Coronial Services Unit The new Coronial Services Unit delivers case management, hearing management, judicial support, and registry services to the Chief Coroner and Coroners under the Coroners Act 2006. This Act came into full force on 1 July 2007.

As well as the Chief Coroner a further 13 Coroners have been appointed to exercise functions under the new Act.

Coronial Offices have been established in Whangarei, Auckland, Rotorua, Hamilton, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Coronial inquests (hearings) will be held in these centres and throughout the country.

Waitangi Tribunal Unit

The Waitangi Tribunal Unit delivers a range of outputs related to the registration, management, researching, hearing and reporting of claims under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975.

Research services include specialised historical research carried out by qualified staff as well as the commissioning and management of contracted research services. Report writing services include specialised editing services.

The Unit operates from an office in Wellington although staff are often required to travel to various parts of the country to facilitate claimant research and support judicial conferences and hearings. Hearings are frequently held on marae.

National Office

The National Office for the Special Jurisdictions Group in Wellington, delivers public sector planning and reporting services, financial management, policy advice, strategic management, business systems management and Ministerial services for the Group and to the wider Ministry.

Part of this national office is a Business Development arm which consists of staff and resources to support special projects, operational policy and business systems. In particular, the projects component has been established to work on behalf of business units to develop and build new initiatives before returning them to the business for implementation and integration as business-as-usual.

Contacts

If you want to contact the staff who support a particular Court or Tribunal you can find details here.

Alternatively you can contact the National Office of the Ministry: