Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Adoption Act 1955

Miscellaneous

22: Attendance at hearings

You could also call this:

"Who can be with you at an adoption court hearing"

Illustration for Adoption Act 1955

When you go to a court hearing about an adoption, some people can be there with you. These people are court officers, the people involved in the case, their lawyers, a social worker who wrote a report under section 10, news reporters, and people the Judge says can come to support you. The Judge can also let other people come to the hearing. You can ask the Judge if someone can come with you to court to support you, and the Judge will say yes unless they have a good reason not to. If the Judge asks someone to leave the courtroom during a hearing, that person must leave.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM293314.

Topics:
Family and relationships > Adoption and guardianshipCrime and justice > Courts and legal help
Previous

21: Court to which application for adoption order shall be made, or

"Which court to go to for adoption"

Next

22A: Publication of reports of proceedings, or

"Rules for sharing court reports about adoption cases"

22Attendance at hearings

  1. The following persons may attend a hearing of an application under this Act:

  2. officers of the court:
    1. parties to the proceedings:
      1. lawyers representing parties to the proceedings:
        1. a social worker who furnished a report under section 10:
          1. accredited news media reporters:
            1. persons whom the Judge permits to be present as support persons for a party on the request of that party:
              1. any other persons whom the Judge permits to be present.

                1. No other person may attend a hearing of an application under this Act.

                2. The Judge must agree to a request under subsection (1)(f) unless the Judge considers there is a good reason why the named support persons should not be permitted to be present.

                3. No support persons may help an applicant conduct his or her case.

                4. If, during a hearing, the Judge requests a person of any of the following kinds to leave the courtroom, the person must do so:

                5. an accredited news media reporter:
                  1. a support person whom the Judge permitted to be present under subsection (1)(f).

                    1. Nothing in this section limits any other power of the court—

                    2. to hear proceedings in private; or
                      1. to permit a McKenzie friend to be present; or
                        1. to exclude any person from the court.

                          Notes
                          • Section 22: replaced, on , by section 4 of the Adoption Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 73).