Number of levels of adjudication

NewZealand Electoral Act 1993 (2010), Part 8 –Election petitions, p. 351

180Application to District Court Judge for recount

(1) Any constituency candidate for adistrict may, within 3 working days after the public declaration made under section 179 in respectof that district, apply to a District Court Judge for the conduct, in respectof that district, of a recount of the electorate votes.

(5) The District Court Judge—

(a) shall cause a recount of theelectorate votes or the party votes, as the case may require, to be commencedwithin 3 working days after receiving the application

181 Applicationby political party for recount in every electoral district

(1) Any secretary of a politicalparty listed on the part of the ballot paper that relates to the party votemay, instead of making 1 or more separate applications for recounts under section180(2), apply to the Chief District Court Judge for recounts of the partyvotes to be conducted in every electoral district.

(2) Every application undersubsection (1) must be made within 3 working days after the date of thelast public declaration made under section179 for any electoral district.

(3) Every application undersubsection (1) shall be accompanied by a deposit of $90,000 (which depositshall be inclusive of goods and services tax).

(4) The Chief District Court Judgeshall cause a separate recount of the party votes to be conducted for eachelectoral district and, for that purpose, shall, within 3 working days afterreceiving the application for the recounts, arrange, in respect of eachrecount, for a District Court Judge to conduct it.

(5) Each recount conducted under thissection shall be conducted in accordance with subsections (5) to (10) of section180, except that each recount shall be commenced within 3 working days ofthe date on which the District Court Judge conducting the recount is assignedthat task.

242 Decision ofcourt to be final

All decisionsof the High Court under this Part shall be final

and conclusiveand without appeal, and shall not be questioned in any way.

230 Electionpetitions to High Court

(1) An electionpetition to which section 229(3) applies may be presented to the High Court by1 or more of the following

persons:

(a) a personwho voted or had a right to vote at the election:

(b) a personclaiming to have had a right to be elected or

returned at theelection:

(c) a personalleging himself or herself to have been a constituency candidate at theelection.

(What thisimplies is that those listed in a, b and c may directly petition the High Courtfor final determination. There are no other sequential appeal processes inbetween.)      

http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/pacific/NZ/new-zealand-electoral-act-2010/view