Supporting diversity and inclusion

Supporting diversity and inclusion in our Court

The Judges and staff of Te Kōti Take Mahi o Aotearoa, the Employment Court of New Zealand, respect diversity and seek to support an inclusive and respectful environment for all Court users. 

One of the ways in which the Court seeks to do so is by asking representatives to identify their preferred pronoun and/or culturally appropriate honorific in advance of the hearing.  Advice is also sought as to how witnesses wish to be addressed.  The form is provided to the presiding Judge before the hearing and is used by Court staff.  Appearance details form [PDF, 94 KB]

Physically accessing the Employment Court can present challenges for some.  Registry staff are available to address any queries or concerns about attending Court, including accessing lifts, parking options nearby and the availability of in-Court facilities to meet individual needs.  For the hearing impaired, a hearing loop can be made available.  

Our Registry staff can be contacted on Contact us | Employment Court of New Zealand(external link).

Photographs of a typical courtroom for hearings and maps of Court premises can be found here Photographs of Court(external link).  Most hearings are open to the public and there will be a sign on the courtroom door if they are not.  You are welcome to visit the Court to see how it works before attending as a party or a witness, or if you are interested in seeing what the layout of our courtrooms is.

Feedback welcome

The Court welcomes feedback on its website, including suggestions for how it can be made more accessible and helpful to both litigants and representatives. You can provide your feedback/suggestions here:  EmploymentCourt@justice.govt.nz