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Jurisdiction of the District Court
Important note on currency
This section was originally published on CourtKeys in 2015 as part of a public legal education project. While it remains useful for understanding general legal concepts and processes, some information may now be out of date. Updated and revised material is included in Civil Litigation for Non-Lawyers. This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
The District Court has general jurisdiction to deal with civil claims of up to $200,000.
You could still file claim a District Court claim that would otherwise exceed that limit by abandoning whatever part exceeds $200,000. However, beware that ‘abandoned’ really does mean ‘abandoned’: You could not make a new District Court claim for any abandoned part later on. Alternatively, if you did not want to abandon any part of a claim exceeding $200,000, you might file it in the High Court.
There are some claims that the District Court cannot deal with even though the value involved is less than the $200,000 limit. Some examples:
1. Section 35(1) of the District Court Act 1947 provides:
No court shall have cognizance of any proceedings in which the validity of any devise or bequest is in question or the limitations under any will or settlement are in dispute.
2. The Employment Court has exclusive jurisdiction over various matters set out at section 187 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.
3. Prejudiced shareholders must apply to the High Court for relief under section 174 of the Companies Act 1993.
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All legal information published on this website is general information about New Zealand law only. It is not legal advice or a substitute for legal advice. It does not address specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity. It may not reflect current law, practice or legal requirements. No warranty, guarantee or undertaking is made about the accuracy or completeness of the information, or about results that may be obtained from the information. No responsibility or liability is assumed or accepted for any actions taken or not taken based on use of the information, or for any direct or indirect losses or damage of any kind arising from use of the information. Specific legal advice should be obtained from a lawyer about any circumstances.