Support someone going to court

Family/whānau and friends are an important source of support for people going to court.

You can support your friend or family/whānau member in court by:

• sitting near them (if they’re a witness) when they give evidence, if the judge says you can. You’re not allowed to speak
• sitting with your friend or family/whānau member in the Family Court (if the judge says you can)
  • sitting with your friend or family/whānau member in the Youth Court (the judge will decide how many people is enough and will ask the young person to introduce their family and support people)
  • going to a family group conference or restorative justice conference to support the victim or offender
  • going to a coroner’s inquest.

You can’t help the person you are supporting to answer any questions. You can only speak during the proceedings if the person in charge of the court talks to you directly.

Support a young person

Find out how to support children after a crime or trauma on the Victims Information website(external link)

You can also find out more about how to support young people who are witnesses in court and what help you can get from the Victims Information website(external link)