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Collecting evidence

As part of the investigation, the police will collect evidence. This might be physical evidence, such as clothes or other property or medical evidence. It’s important the police get as much evidence as possible to help the case if it goes to court. Medical evidence If you are a victim of sexual...
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Staying informed about the investigation

Victims of a crime have a right to information about the progress of the investigation, unless the disclosure might jeopardise the investigation. How to contact the police When you report the crime, the police will tell you how to contact them. You should quote your reference number whenever you con...
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Laying charges

After the police have investigated the case they will decide whether to lay charges. Police will tell you what the person has been charged with. Not all police investigations lead to a person being charged with an offence. How do police decide whether to lay charges? In deciding whether to charge th...
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Types of offences

In New Zealand, there are four different categories of offences. The officer in charge or prosecutor will explain what offence the defendant has been charged with. You can read more in Offence categories and types of trial (Ministry of Justice). Category 1 offence Category 1 offences are relatively...
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Bail

The police will talk to you if the defendant is going to be released on bail. You can tell police if you have any safety concerns and talk about what bail conditions could help make you and your family feel safer. If you're a victim of a serious crime you'll be told if the defendant is released on b...
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The decision to prosecute

After a person has been charged with an offence, the case will handed to a police prosecutor or a Crown Solicitor (depending on the seriousness of the crime) who will decide whether to take the case to court. This is called the decision to prosecute.What is the role of the prosecutor?The prosecutor...
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Types of courts

There are lots of different courts in New Zealand. This page talks about courts that deal with criminal matters. The Courts of New Zealand website has information on other types of courts and tribunals.District Courts Most criminal matters are heard in the District Court. The District Court cannot h...
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Victim impact statements

As a victim, you have the right to make a victim impact statement, which tells the court how the crime has affected you. Read more about how to make a victim impact statement and how it is used in court. What is a victim impact statement? A victim impact statement can help the judge understand how t...
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Getting information about the case

You can get information about your case by contacting the court victim advisor or officer in charge, or by contacting the court directly Always check case details the day before the hearing Sometimes, court hearing dates can be changed for different reasons. Make sure you check the case details the...
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Your privacy

If you're a victim or a witness in a case, the court can do things to protect your privacy, like: ensuring that evidence given to the court does not disclose your contact details, unless the judge specifically allows this making an order for name suppression for victims of sexual violence and child...