People required to physically attend court hearings will be exempt from new rules requiring anyone visiting a courthouse to provide a vaccine pass.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
From 31 January next year, a pass or recent negative Covid-19 test will be required to enter a court house.
But this will not apply to people required to attend court in person and other special measures will be implemented to manage health and safety risks instead.
They will try to make it possible for people to appear by video link where at all possible to enable remote participation for all appearances other than their trial, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said.
Some courts will apply these rules sooner than others, depending on the court's capacity to enforce them.
Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann says all protocols are still being finalised, including rules around jury trials.
Jury trials are scheduled to begin from 31 January 2022 in the District Court, and from 8 February 2022 in the High Court.
"The judiciary is committed to minimising the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in court buildings. People can expect that all court staff, judges and judicial officers in court buildings are fully vaccinated.
The judiciary continues to work with the Ministry of Justice to safeguard the health of people in court buildings. The Ministry is responsible for setting up the necessary systems in courthouses to manage the risks posed by Covid-19."
