Nelson courthouse seismic update
The Nelson courthouse building remains vacated for seismic strengthening and remediation work. Public counter services are restricted, but assistance is accessible via phone or email.
If dates for any court events have changed, we will contact you to let you know. If you have not heard from us, please call 0800 COURTS (0800 268 787) to check where to go or whether your court date has changed.
Temporary arrangements are in place for court operations:
- District Court: A temporary courtroom has been set up at the Community Corrections building at Albion Square, 323 Hardy Street. Criminal matters will proceed as scheduled here or via audio visual link.
- Public Counter: To contact the registry, you can call 0800 COURTS or email nelson.dc@justice.govt.nz. If you have a warrant to arrest or need to speak to a registrar in person, you can go to the temporary location at the Community Corrections building and ask to speak to a court registrar.
- Filing documents: documents can be filed via email at nelson.dc@justice.govt.nz or in the drop box at the side entrance outside the courthouse.
- Family Court: A temporary courtroom has been established in the community to be used for Family and Civil hearings. There are no staff or counter services based at this location. Participants and counsel will be notified beforehand to confirm the scheduled date and venue. To date all fixtures have proceeded as scheduled.
- Mental Health cases are proceeding as normal from the Hospital.
- Financial Assessment hearings are not proceeding, and cases have been shifted to June.
- High Court: cases are being heard remotely from Wellington or Blenheim.
- Judge alone or Jury trials: won’t be heard in Nelson while seismic strengthening takes place. There are no appropriate alternative facilities available. Trial matters are being triaged, and some pre-trial hearings may proceed, court staff will be contacting participants and counsel if a pre-trial hearing can proceed.
- Victims: can contact the Court Victims Advisor at csv.nelson@justice.govt.nz or the Police Officer in charge of the case.
- Tribunals: most tribunal matters, including Tenancy and Disputes, are proceeding. Most are being heard virtually, and court staff will contact parties with the location if an in-person hearing is required.
The seismic works are expected to be complete by the end of May 2025 and the Ministry will update the public when the courthouse reopens.
Read the Ministry’s media release(external link) about the vacation of the Nelson Courthouse for seismic strengthening.
Find out more about the Ministry’s seismic policy(external link) and the assessment documents related to the Nelson Courthouse on our Seismic policy page.