'Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister of Justice

Hon Nicole McKee
Minister for Courts

Court case backlogs will be further reduced through extra funding to improve court timeliness and access to justice, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Courts Minister Nicole McKee say.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. Waiting months or years for a case to be resolved only adds to the frustration and trauma for victims and, indeed, all court participants,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“While there has been progress, it’s really important that we keep things moving. This funding will to do exactly that.”

Budget 2025 will provide New Zealand’s courts with $246 million of additional funding over the next four years.

“This funding will support the ongoing operation of specialist courts, tribunals, the District Court, senior courts, the Coroners Court, and the legal aid system.”

“This Government is supporting the courts to be more efficient and minimise delays, to ensure everyone can navigate the process smoothly and have trust and confidence in the system,”
Mrs McKee says.

“An efficient court system that delivers timely justice is an important part of the Government’s plan to restore law and order. Through Budget 2025 we are making sure we keep our foot on
the pedal.”

In the year ending 31 March 2025, cases disposed of within expected timeframes has stabilised at 81 per cent, after almost a decade of declining timeliness.

Backlog cases have decreased by 9 per cent to 7,067, while active cases decreased by 3 per cent to 37,920, with a reduction of 1,074 cases on hand.

Disposals of district court jury trials are at historically high levels, reflecting the approach of applying additional resources to reduce the post-Covid backlog of trials in Auckland courts.

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