Hon Georgina te Heuheu
Minister for Courts
16 December 2008 Media Statement
Courts briefing shows work being done on workloads
It is encouraging to see work is underway to address the issue of court workloads in New Zealand’s court system and to
simplify criminal procedures, says Minister for Courts, Georgina te Heuheu in releasing the Briefing to the Incoming
Minister.
“The Criminal Procedure (Simplification) Project is a joint project between the Ministry of Justice and the Law
Commission. This is a crucial opportunity to create a more efficient procedure for criminal cases and reduce court
delays and should be welcomed.
“Another positive move is to support the reform of district court civil rules. These are aimed at improving the
efficiency of procedures and processes for civil matters in District Courts.
“These reforms also aim to ensure an efficient dispute resolution process.
“The particular pressures facing Auckland courtroom capacity and strong workload growth are being addressed through the
Ministry’s Auckland Service Delivery Programme. The Ministry will report back on progress with this programme early in
the new year.
“I acknowledge that courts are generally disposing of more cases than ever before, however there are significant
challenges moving forward.
“I will be working closely with officials to relieve the pressures on our court system.”
BIM can be viewed at: http://beehivegovt.nz/sites/all/files/Courts.pdf
ENDS