UPDATE 1/9/21
The Courts are now moving to work under Level 3 restrictions. All clients are advised to confirm their next Court appearance date and to comply with and answer their bail and to attend Court when directed.
My understanding is that the Taupo Court will not be sitting at this level and all non urgent matters will continue to be adjourned to new future dates with urgent/custodial matters continuing to be dealt with by AVL appearances out of the Rotorua District Court.
The processes for handling cases under the Level 3 regime is developing. I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
1/9/21
UPDATE 18/8/21
COVID 19 Level 4 Lockdown - How does this affect you?
I am guided by Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice. You should check Ministry websites for details.
The Court is considered an essential service but that does not mean that every case will go ahead as scheduled - some cases can go ahead with remote appearances by AVL/VMR and some cannot.
The Registrar will advise us of what is to go ahead. I cannot guarantee that this information will come to me so it is important that you keep in contact with the Court and with me. If an address has changed then the Registrar and I need to be told. It is a Defendant’s responsibility to know when they need to attend Court and to abide by any bail conditions that they have.
I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
18/8/21
UPDATE 15/2/21
COVID 19 Level 2 restrictions have been reintroduced in Taupo. Court appearances here continue and people still need to comply with and answer their bail and attend Court when directed. Court dates should be treated as requiring the clients attendance unless and until the Court advises in writing otherwise.
A reminder that support whanau/persons are not able to attend Court unless prior approval has been obtained from the Judge and may be limited to only one person. There is a process to follow if you want to bring a support person along with you and this has to be done some days before an appearance so clients are reminded to get in contact early if this is something they want to explore.
If clients have any questions please contact me to discuss your situation.
Regards
Steve
15/2/21
UPDATE 14/5/20
The move to Level 2 opens the Courts up for more work. All clients are advised to confirm their next Court appearance date and to comply with and answer their bail and to attend Court when directed.
A reminder that support whanau/persons are not able to attend Court unless prior approval has been obtained from the Judge and may be limited to only one person. There is a process to follow if you want to bring a support person along with you and this has to be done some days before an appearance so clients are reminded to get in contact early if this is something they want to explore.
Court dates should be treated as requiring the clients attendance unless and until the Court advises in writing otherwise. I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
14/5/20
UPDATE 28/4/20
The Courts are opening up for more work this week with the move down to Level 3. All clients are advised to confirm their next Court appearance date and to comply with and answer their bail and to attend Court when directed. My understanding is that the Taupo Court will have Judges sitting commencing this week.
The process for handling cases under the Level 3 regime is developing. Some but not all matters during this period may still be administratively adjourned/remanded on existing bail conditions to dates to be advised. Clients should not assume that this will happen with their matter. If an appearance is necessary and with be worthwhile then a clients attendance may be appropriate. In some case however where the appearance of the client is not necessary or if there would not be much achieved by the clients presence then an attendance might be able to be excused. Court dates should be treated as requiring the clients attendance unless and until the Court advises in writing otherwise. I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
28/4/20
UPDATE
Planning for possible effects of COVID-19
Judges and senior Ministry of Justice officials have met to discuss how Courts business will continue in the event of local or widespread outbreaks of COVID-19. This includes arrangements for keeping people safe during Court attendances, planning for the delivery of essential court business and services, options for remote hearings, relaxed or modified filing deadlines, communication strategies and the like.
The Ministry is considering what its essential services are, looking at health and safety arrangements and a communications strategy in the case of COVID-19 escalating.
Also Ministry of Health recommendations are developing and you should check the Ministry of Health’s website for details.
How does this affect you?
The Registrar has confirmed that there will be no Court sittings and no Judge here in Taupo for the foreseeable future.
Some priority matters will be dealt with out of the Rotorua District Court. I might be involved in these cases by teleconference or AVL from Taupo or it might mean that cases are reassigned to Rotorua lawyers to deal with. The process for handling these cases is developing.
The majority of Court matters during this period will be administratively adjourned/remanded on existing bail conditions to dates to be advised.
The Registrar will advise a Defendant of the new date. That advice will go to a Defendants last known address. I cannot guarantee that this information will come to me so it is important that you keep in contact with the Court and with me. If an address has changed then the Registrar and I need to be told.
It is a Defendant’s responsibility to know when they need to attend Court and to abide by any bail conditions that they have.
In these times of uncertainty things will likely change so please keep in contact.
Regards
Steve
25/3/20
The Courts are now moving to work under Level 3 restrictions. All clients are advised to confirm their next Court appearance date and to comply with and answer their bail and to attend Court when directed.
My understanding is that the Taupo Court will not be sitting at this level and all non urgent matters will continue to be adjourned to new future dates with urgent/custodial matters continuing to be dealt with by AVL appearances out of the Rotorua District Court.
The processes for handling cases under the Level 3 regime is developing. I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
1/9/21
UPDATE 18/8/21
COVID 19 Level 4 Lockdown - How does this affect you?
I am guided by Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice. You should check Ministry websites for details.
The Court is considered an essential service but that does not mean that every case will go ahead as scheduled - some cases can go ahead with remote appearances by AVL/VMR and some cannot.
The Registrar will advise us of what is to go ahead. I cannot guarantee that this information will come to me so it is important that you keep in contact with the Court and with me. If an address has changed then the Registrar and I need to be told. It is a Defendant’s responsibility to know when they need to attend Court and to abide by any bail conditions that they have.
I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
18/8/21
UPDATE 15/2/21
COVID 19 Level 2 restrictions have been reintroduced in Taupo. Court appearances here continue and people still need to comply with and answer their bail and attend Court when directed. Court dates should be treated as requiring the clients attendance unless and until the Court advises in writing otherwise.
A reminder that support whanau/persons are not able to attend Court unless prior approval has been obtained from the Judge and may be limited to only one person. There is a process to follow if you want to bring a support person along with you and this has to be done some days before an appearance so clients are reminded to get in contact early if this is something they want to explore.
If clients have any questions please contact me to discuss your situation.
Regards
Steve
15/2/21
UPDATE 14/5/20
The move to Level 2 opens the Courts up for more work. All clients are advised to confirm their next Court appearance date and to comply with and answer their bail and to attend Court when directed.
A reminder that support whanau/persons are not able to attend Court unless prior approval has been obtained from the Judge and may be limited to only one person. There is a process to follow if you want to bring a support person along with you and this has to be done some days before an appearance so clients are reminded to get in contact early if this is something they want to explore.
Court dates should be treated as requiring the clients attendance unless and until the Court advises in writing otherwise. I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
14/5/20
UPDATE 28/4/20
The Courts are opening up for more work this week with the move down to Level 3. All clients are advised to confirm their next Court appearance date and to comply with and answer their bail and to attend Court when directed. My understanding is that the Taupo Court will have Judges sitting commencing this week.
The process for handling cases under the Level 3 regime is developing. Some but not all matters during this period may still be administratively adjourned/remanded on existing bail conditions to dates to be advised. Clients should not assume that this will happen with their matter. If an appearance is necessary and with be worthwhile then a clients attendance may be appropriate. In some case however where the appearance of the client is not necessary or if there would not be much achieved by the clients presence then an attendance might be able to be excused. Court dates should be treated as requiring the clients attendance unless and until the Court advises in writing otherwise. I ask clients to contact me to discuss their situation.
Regards
Steve
28/4/20
UPDATE
Planning for possible effects of COVID-19
Judges and senior Ministry of Justice officials have met to discuss how Courts business will continue in the event of local or widespread outbreaks of COVID-19. This includes arrangements for keeping people safe during Court attendances, planning for the delivery of essential court business and services, options for remote hearings, relaxed or modified filing deadlines, communication strategies and the like.
The Ministry is considering what its essential services are, looking at health and safety arrangements and a communications strategy in the case of COVID-19 escalating.
Also Ministry of Health recommendations are developing and you should check the Ministry of Health’s website for details.
How does this affect you?
The Registrar has confirmed that there will be no Court sittings and no Judge here in Taupo for the foreseeable future.
Some priority matters will be dealt with out of the Rotorua District Court. I might be involved in these cases by teleconference or AVL from Taupo or it might mean that cases are reassigned to Rotorua lawyers to deal with. The process for handling these cases is developing.
The majority of Court matters during this period will be administratively adjourned/remanded on existing bail conditions to dates to be advised.
The Registrar will advise a Defendant of the new date. That advice will go to a Defendants last known address. I cannot guarantee that this information will come to me so it is important that you keep in contact with the Court and with me. If an address has changed then the Registrar and I need to be told.
It is a Defendant’s responsibility to know when they need to attend Court and to abide by any bail conditions that they have.
In these times of uncertainty things will likely change so please keep in contact.
Regards
Steve
25/3/20