Guidelines for use of generative artificial intelligence in Courts and Tribunals

Courts of New Zealand (Chief Justice)

last revised 2023-12-07last verified 2026-09-031 versioncountry page →

GuidanceIn forceVerification dutyConfidentialityPermissive

map categories:Judges' use of AI Duty to verify AI output Client data in AI tools Self-represented litigants AI-generated evidence Courts' own AI deployment Supervision of AI work Disclosure of AI use in filings

Three sets of guidelines issued by the Chief Justice of New Zealand on 7 December 2023 for judges, lawyers and non-lawyers using generative AI in courts and tribunals. Existing duties continue to apply, users must verify all AI output and protect confidential information, and there is no mandatory disclosure of AI use. The guidelines remain unchanged as of September 2026.

Applies to: judges, lawyers, litigants, court-staff
Effective: 07 Dec 2023
Current version: Original · 07 Dec 2023
Last verified: 03 Sept 2026
Official text: www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/going-to-court/practice-directions/practice-gui…

What the document requires

Separate guidelines for judicial officers, lawyers and non-lawyers.
AI output must be checked for accuracy; fabricated citations are the user's responsibility.
Confidential, suppressed or private information must not be entered into public tools.
No requirement to disclose AI use in court documents.

Version history

Version	Date	What changed	Source
Originalcurrent	2023-12-07	First version recorded.	official

Related court incidents on the record

Jones v Family Court at Whangārei [2026] NZSC 12026-02-11 Dismissal

Sources

Courts of New Zealand — generative AI guidelines

Cite this record

SafeLegalAI Legal AI Regulation Tracker, "Guidelines for use of generative artificial intelligence in Courts and Tribunals" (Courts of New Zealand (Chief Justice), Original, 2023-12-07), safelegalai.com/regulation/nz/nz-courts-generative-ai-guidelines (accessed 2026-09-04). Data: CC BY 4.0.