Common questions

The police may want you to go to court as a ‘ witness witness
A person who tells the court about what they have seen, heard or experienced. ’ if you’ve told them about something that has happened to you or someone else. You will be going to court to tell a judge and sometimes jury jury
Twelve people from the community who decide if the person is guilty or not guilty. what happened. This is called ‘giving  evidence evidence
Various things presented in court to prove an alleged fact i.e videos, witness statements. ’.

You may know someone who has gone to court and ended up in prison. They were a  defendant defendant
The person accused of the crime. . If you are a witness at court, you are not the person who is on trial and you can’t go to prison. You’re only there to help tell the judge/jury what happened.

No. If the  defendant defendant
The person accused of the crime. agrees that they have committed the crime ( pleads pleads
A formal answer to a charge e.g guilty or not guilty.  guilty), you will not have to go to court. In some cases, it’s also agreed that a witness witness
A person who tells the court about what they have seen, heard or experienced. does not need to go to court in person, that their evidence evidence
Various things presented in court to prove an alleged fact i.e videos, witness statements. can be given to the jury jury
Twelve people from the community who decide if the person is guilty or not guilty. in a different way.

At court a person called a judge and sometimes a jury jury
Twelve people from the community who decide if the person is guilty or not guilty. listen to what everyone says about what happened and decides whether the  defendant defendant
The person accused of the crime. is guilty of the offence  beyond reasonable doubt beyond reasonable doubt
Standard of evidence needed to prove a crime occured . ‘Guilty beyond reasonable doubt’ means that the judge or jury is sure that the defendant committed the offence. They have to be sure, not 100% sure, but so sure, that there is no reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. A person cannot be convicted of a serious crime unless the judge or jury is sure they did it. If there is a doubt, which is a reasonable one, then the judge or jury will decide the defendant is not guilty. If the judge or jury decides the defendant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the judge then decides what is to happen to the defendant (the  sentence sentence
The consequences of the crime for the offender if they've pleaded or been found guilty. or punishment).

It is a case by case basis on how many times you will need to go to court. Sometimes you will be able to answer all your questions in one day, sometimes you may need to come back for a second day. In some cases, there is a problem with a trial so the court needs to start the process again, though this doesn’t happen often.

It can take a long time for a case to get to court, sometimes months, sometimes years.

During this time the police gather evidence evidence
Various things presented in court to prove an alleged fact i.e videos, witness statements. for the case, question people who may have heard or seen anything, see whether any medical examination backs up a complainant’s story and prepare for court. Because there are a lot of cases that go to court, each case has to wait for its turn on the court waiting list. Some priority is given to cases where a young person, rangatahi under 17 years old is giving evidence.

A Court Victim Advisor Court Victim Advisor
Someone who helps victims to go through the court process will contact you/your parent, family, whanau and oer you the court education for young witnesses service. This is a service that will help you find out what will happen at court and support you and your family, whanau through the court process. The police and the Court Victim Advisor have to keep you informed about what’s happening with the case. If you’re concerned about how long it’s taking, ask the police or the Court Victim Advisor what is going on.

The police officer in charge police officer in charge
Your main contact person with the police for your case. of the case or the Court Victim Advisor Court Victim Advisor
Someone who helps victims to go through the court process will tell you. They’ll tell you whether the defendant defendant
The person accused of the crime. has pleaded ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’. If the defendant pleads pleads
A formal answer to a charge e.g guilty or not guilty. ‘not guilty’, the police officer or Court Victim Advisor will tell you the date of the court hearing and where it will be.

If the defendant pleads guilty, the judge will tell them their sentence sentence
The consequences of the crime for the offender offender
Person convicted of a crime. if they've pleaded or been found guilty. on that day or on another day. You won’t have to give any more  evidence evidence
Various things presented in court to prove an alleged fact i.e videos, witness witness
A person who tells the court about what they have seen, heard or experienced. statements. and you won’t have to be in court for the  sentencing sentencing
This is when the Judge decides what happens to the offender if they've pleaded or been found guilty. if you do not want to.

If it’s a jury jury
Twelve people from the community who decide if the person is guilty or not guilty. trial the police should arrange for you to meet the prosecutor prosecutor
The lawyer who presents the case against the person accused of a crime. before the court date. The Court Victim Advisor will usually meet with you about 3 weeks before going to court and go through some court education resources with you, show you around the courtroom and explain what will happen in court.

You need to tell the police officer in charge police officer in charge
Your main contact person with the police for your case. of the case if English is a second language for you. If they think this will affect you giving evidence evidence
Various things presented in court to prove an alleged fact i.e videos, witness statements. they may arrange for you to have a translator at court so you can understand what is being said and answer questions clearly.

If English is your second language it can help to have a translator even if your English is good. It can be stressful in court and you don’t need other things to worry about.

If you have a disability including hearing, sight, intellectual, mental health or physical difficulties, you or an adult need to tell the police. They can arrange things in the courtroom to help you. This may include an interpreter if you are deaf.

If someone who has committed a serious crime is going through court, they will either be held in prison or be released on bail bail
The release of a person from custody on conditions, including that they go to court . Bail is when someone has to follow certain conditions. These conditions can include not contacting you. Make sure you tell police that you want this to happen.

You should wear something neat and tidy that you feel comfortable in. You can ask the police, who have been helping you, if you have any questions about what you want to wear.

Because you’ll probably be at the court buildings for a long time waiting for your turn to answer your questions, it’s good to make sure you have something to eat and drink. Take some lunch and food to eat during the day. You might want to take a book or magazine, music to listen to, a game or something else to do while you wait.

This depends on a lot of different things, but the police will make sure you know what time you have to be at court. Most courts start at 10am. The police will usually pick you up to take you to court. You can check that it will be in an unmarked police vehicle.

It depends on how long the  prosecutor prosecutor
The lawyer who presents the case against the person accused of a crime. and the defence lawyer take to introduce the case. If you’re the complainant in a  sexual assault sexual assault
Sexual Assault is a broad term used to cover all types of sexual offending, including rape. case you should be one of the first people to  give evidence give evidence
Answering questions about what happened to you. so hopefully, you won’t have to wait too long.  

But sometimes it may take almost the whole day or more before the people in the courtroom are ready for you to  give your evidence give your evidence
Answering questions about what happened to you. . The police officer in charge police officer in charge
Your main contact person with the police for your case. of the case should keep you informed about what’s happening while you’re waiting. 
 
If you aren’t the complainant, you’ll be told what time you need to be at court to give your evidence evidence
Various things presented in court to prove an alleged fact i.e videos, witness statements. . Even though you’re given a time, you may still have to wait for other people to finish giving their evidence before it's your turn.