The Disputes Tribunal doubles down on accessibility in 2026

Big changes are coming to the Disputes Tribunal (Tribunal) in 2026.

Many will be familiar with the Tribunal, which is designed to provide an affordable and accessible way for people to resolve civil disputes. The Tribunal is intended to enable non-lawyers to have their day in Court, without the legal complexity and costs associated with other courts. This style of hearing has many advantages, including the speed at which applications are heard, and avoidance of legal jargon and procedures. In fact, lawyers are not permitted in the Tribunal and its Referees are not bound by law. The result can be a much more “fair” outcome than can be achieved by the Courts.

At present, the Tribunal has jurisdiction to determine claims up to $30,000 (claims could be brought for greater amounts provided the award was capped at $30,000). The Disputes Tribunal Amendment Bill will soon increase the Disputes Tribunal’s jurisdiction to $60,000. These changes come into effect on 23 January 2026. For many, the increase in the Tribunal’s jurisdiction is a welcome change, although the Tribunal is not for everyone and cannot be used for some areas of law such as debt collection (since parties cannot apply to the Disputes Tribunal without a dispute), employment or family law. If you wish to claim more than $60,000, or your claim involves an area of law outside the Tribunal’s jurisdiction, you will need to file your claim in the Courts, where people are generally advised to have legal representation.

Although lawyers are not permitted to appear in the Tribunal, $60,000 is a large amount lot of money, and the hearings can still be extremely intimidating. So it is still worth talking to a lawyer, to ensure that you are giving yourself the best chance of a successful outcome, whether in bringing a claim or defending a claim that has been brought against you.

For further advice please contact Associate Cherry Mo or our Dispute Resolution team here.