If you are making a second appeal, you go to a different court. You go to the High Court if the first court was the District Court. You can go to either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court if the first court was the High Court.

If the first court was the Court of Appeal, you go to the Supreme Court for your second appeal. The court you go to depends on which court made the decision you are appealing against. You can find more information about the laws that govern this process, including changes made by the District Court Act 2016, which amended section 265.

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This page was last updated on 29 June 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3360444.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal help

264: Right of appeal against determination of first appeal court, or

"You can ask a higher court to review a decision made by a lower appeal court."

266: How to commence second appeal, or

"How to start a second appeal against a court decision"

Part 6Appeals
Appeals against finding of or sentence for contempt of court: Further appeals

265Second appeal courts

The second appeal court for an appeal under this subpart is—
the High Court, if the appeal is against a determination of the District Court; or
either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court, if the appeal is against a determination of the High Court; or
the Supreme Court, if the appeal is against a determination of the Court of Appeal.

Notes

Section 265(a): amended, on 1 March 2017, by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).