{"id":210396,"date":"2021-09-28T16:10:02","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T03:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=210396"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:38:21","slug":"difference-between-court-and-tribunal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/disputes-and-litigation\/difference-between-court-and-tribunal\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Difference Between a Court and a Tribunal in NZ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have a legal problem in New Zealand, there are various avenues you can take to solve that problem. These range in formality, and what avenue you access will depend both on the nature of your issue and the resources available to you. However, it can be confusing to understand the differences in these avenues, especially if you have little experience with the New Zealand legal system. In particular, two of these avenues are courts and tribunals<\/a>, which are different forums for the public to access for legal issues. For some guidance, this article will explain the difference between a court and a tribunal in New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do the Courts Work in New Zealand?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Courts serve many functions within society. They are places that people with legal disputes or grievances can go to get a solution for those problems. They are also places where people can face accountability for their actions. A decision-maker, usually a judge or jury, will listen to the facts of the situation and the arguments given by counsel (usually lawyers). Then, they will make a decision based on those facts. The court system is separate from the government and can hold government actors, and itself, accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New Zealand court system operates from a hierarchy. If you were not happy with the result of the decision in a lower court, then you can appeal to a higher court to consider your case. From the bottom of the hierarchy to the top, the four major courts are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n