Disputes Tribunal Amendment Bill
This bill doubles the maximum amount of money you can claim at the Disputes Tribunal — New Zealand's low-cost, no-lawyers court for everyday disputes — from $30,000 to $60,000. This means more people with bigger disputes (for example, over faulty goods, contracts, or fencing) can use the cheaper, simpler Tribunal instead of having to go to a more expensive court. The higher fee category for filing a claim is also updated to match the new limit.
What this affects
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People can now take disputes over amounts up to $60,000 to the low-cost Disputes Tribunal, rather than having to use more expensive courts.
In section 10(1A)(b), replace '$30,000' with '$60,000'.
In section 14, replace '$30,000' with '$60,000'.
In section 47(4), replace '$30,000' with '$60,000'. [Consumer Guarantees Act]
In section 36B(2), replace '$30,000' with '$60,000'. [Fair Trading Act]
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Justice Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 15 January 2025.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.