Senior Courts Act 2016

Preliminary provisions

4: Interpretation

You could also call this:

"What special words mean in this law"

When you read this Act, some words have special meanings. Associate Judge means an Associate Judge of the High Court. Chief High Court Judge is the person holding that office under section 100. You will see many other special words in this Act. Chief Justice means the Chief Justice of New Zealand holding office under section 100. Court of Appeal means the Court of Appeal of New Zealand continued under section 45. Some words are related to court cases. Defendant means a person served with an application to the High Court. High Court means the High Court of New Zealand continued under section 6. High Court Rules means the High Court Rules 2016 that are part of this Act under section 147. Other words are related to people and jobs. Judge means a Judge of the High Court. Lawyer has the meaning given to it by section 6 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006. Medical practitioner means a health practitioner registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand. Some words are related to time and days. Working day means a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. When you see the word senior court, it usually means the High Court, Court of Appeal, or Supreme Court. If a law mentions a senior court in another country, it means a court with similar powers to a senior court in New Zealand.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM5759270.

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3: Purposes, or

"This law combines old laws and explains how New Zealand's top courts work."

5: This Act binds the Crown, or

"The law applies to the government too"

Part 1Preliminary provisions

4Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
Associate Judge means an Associate Judge of the High Court
Chief High Court Judge—
1. means the person holding that office under section 100; and
2. includes a Judge of the High Court acting in place of the Chief High Court Judge under section 109
Chief Justice means the Chief Justice of New Zealand holding office under section 100
Court of Appeal means the Court of Appeal of New Zealand continued under section 45
defendant means a person served or intended to be served with any application to the High Court for the exercise of its civil or criminal jurisdiction
High Court means the High Court of New Zealand continued under section 6
High Court Rules means the High Court Rules 2016 that are part of this Act under section 147
interlocutory application—
1. means any application to the High Court in any civil proceedings or criminal proceedings, or intended civil proceedings or intended criminal proceedings, for—
  1. an order or a direction relating to a matter of procedure; or
  2. in the case of civil proceedings, for some relief ancillary to that claimed in a pleading; and
2. includes an application to review an order made, or a direction given, on any application to which paragraph (a) applies
Judge means a Judge of the High Court
judgment includes decree
lawyer has the meaning given to it by section 6 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006
medical practitioner means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of medicine
Minister means the Minister or Ministers of the Crown who, under the authority of any warrant or with the authority of the Prime Minister, is or are for the time being responsible for the administration of this Act
plaintiff means a person who makes an application (other than an interlocutory application) to the High Court for the exercise of its civil or criminal jurisdiction
President of the Court of Appeal means the Court of Appeal Judge holding office under section 100
Supreme Court means the Supreme Court of New Zealand continued under section 66
working day means a day that is not—
1. a Saturday, a Sunday, Waitangi Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, the Sovereign's birthday, Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki/Matariki Observance Day, or Labour Day; or
2. the day observed as the anniversary day of the province in which the court is located; or
3. if Waitangi Day or Anzac Day falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the following Monday; or
4. a day in the period commencing on 25 December in one year and ending with 15 January in the next year.
A reference in any enactment to a senior court in New Zealand must, unless the context otherwise requires, be read as a reference to the High Court, the Court of Appeal, or the Supreme Court.
A reference in any enactment to a senior court of a country other than New Zealand must, unless the context otherwise requires, be read as a reference to a court that has jurisdiction comparable to the jurisdiction of a senior court in New Zealand.

Notes

Section 4(1) working day paragraph (a): amended, on 12 April 2022, by wehenga 7 o Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki 2022/section 7 of the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022 (2022 No 14).