The Youth Court is a division of the District Court. When a young person commits an offence, they may be directed to a Youth Court to come before a Youth Court Judge. A Youth Court Judge is a specially designated DIstrict Court Judge.

  • Youth Court overview

    Youth Courts deal with all serious offending committed by a young person other than murder and manslaughter.

  • Before Youth Court

    The jurisdiction of the Youth Court is set out in sections 272-280A of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.

  • Who is in the court room

    A Youth Court hearing involves a number of different people.

  • What to expect at Youth Court

    What happens if a young person is appearing at a hearing in the Youth Court and what to expect the outcomes to be.

  • Rangatahi Courts & Pasifika Courts

    Rangatahi Courts operate in the same way as the Youth Court, but are held on marae and follow Māori cultural processes. Pasifika Courts also operate in the same way as the Youth Court, but are held in Pasifika churches or community centres and follow Pasifika cultural processes.