Contempt of Court Act 2019

Provisions to promote and facilitate administration of justice - Prohibiting publication of false statements about Judge or court, and power to make take-down orders

23: Further provisions applying for purpose of section 22

You could also call this:

"Rules for cases involving a specific court offence that must be handled in the High Court"

Illustration for Contempt of Court Act 2019

If you are charged with an offence against section 22, the police need the Solicitor-General's consent to file the charging document. You can read more about this offence in section 22(1). When you first appear in the District Court, the case will be moved to the High Court.

If you are taken to court for this offence, the case must be transferred to the High Court after your first appearance. The rest of the case, including the trial, will happen in the High Court. You can find out more about the rules for this offence in section 22(1).

The High Court will handle the case from the point it is transferred, and this includes the trial. This rule applies even if other laws say something different. You can learn more about the offence by looking at section 22(1).

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This page was last updated on 17 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS238629.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal helpCrime and justice > Criminal law

22: Offence to publish false statement about Judge or court, or

"Don't spread false info about judges or courts, or you could get in trouble with the law."

24: Power to make take-down order, or

"The Court can order fake or harmful information about Judges or courts to be removed from the internet."

Part 2Provisions to promote and facilitate administration of justice
Prohibiting publication of false statements about Judge or court, and power to make take-down orders

23Further provisions applying for purpose of section 22

A charging document for an offence against section 22(1) may be filed only with the consent of the Solicitor-General.
Despite any other enactment, a proceeding against a defendant for an offence against section 22(1) must be transferred to the High Court on adjournment of the defendant’s first appearance in the District Court, and the proceeding from that point, including the trial, must be in the High Court.