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Criminal Procedure Act 2011

General provisions - Public access and restrictions on reporting - Court proceedings generally open to public

196: Court proceedings generally open to public

You could also call this:

"Courts are usually open for the public to watch, but sometimes they can be closed for special reasons."

Illustration for Criminal Procedure Act 2011

When you go to court, you can usually watch what is happening. Every hearing is open to the public, which means you can attend. This does not apply if the court is making a decision based on papers.

The court can decide to close a hearing to the public in certain situations, as outlined in sections like sections 97, 197, 199, and 199AA. These sections explain when the court might not be open to the public. The court also has to follow other laws that might say when a hearing can be closed.

You should be aware that courts usually follow rules that say what can be open to the public and what cannot.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3360338.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Courts and legal helpCrime and justice > Criminal law
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"When you can't share information about a court case with others"

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"The court can ask some people to leave the room to keep everyone safe and the trial fair."

Part 5General provisions
Public access and restrictions on reporting: Court proceedings generally open to public

196Court proceedings generally open to public

  1. Every hearing is open to the public.

  2. Subsection (1) does not apply to any hearing on the papers.

  3. This section is subject to sections 97, 197, 199, and 199AA, and any other enactment.

Compare
Notes
  • Section 196(3): amended, on , by section 44 of the Sexual Violence Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 60).