New Zealand Unveils Court Reforms to Speed Up Justice

Courts and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said too many people are waiting far too long for cases to move through the justice system.

The New Zealand Government has introduced two new Bills aimed at reducing court delays, improving access to justice and helping victims receive quicker outcomes by expanding the responsibilities of Community Magistrates and updating the use of remote court hearings.

Courts and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said too many people are waiting far too long for cases to move through the justice system. She said the Community Magistrates Legislation Amendment Bill will allow Community Magistrates to manage a wider range of straightforward criminal matters from beginning to end, freeing District Court judges to focus on more serious and complex cases.

Expanded powers and modern technology

Under the proposed legislation, Community Magistrates will be able to accept guilty pleas for all cases except those heard in the High Court, including murder and manslaughter. They will also preside over trials involving offences punishable by a fine, community-based sentence or up to three months' imprisonment, order pre-sentencing reports, make a wider range of bail decisions and deal with additional administrative matters such as transferring trials between courts and hearing uncontested limited driver licence applications.

Budget 2025 includes funding for three additional Community Magistrates and expanded training to support the new responsibilities. The recent appointment of Judge Moses as New Zealand's first Chief Community Magistrate will also provide judicial leadership as the role continues to grow within the court system.

Remote hearings to become more consistent

The Government has also introduced the Courts Remote Participation Bill, which will replace the Courts (Remote Participation) Act 2010 with a modern framework for using technology during court proceedings. The new legislation will allow Court Rules to establish clearer expectations about which hearings should take place in person and which can be conducted remotely, while preserving the discretion of judges and registrars to make decisions based on the circumstances of each case.

The reforms form part of a broader programme to improve court performance. According to the Government, the criminal case backlog in the District Court has fallen by 28% since February 2024, reducing the number of victims waiting for justice by more than 1,500. During the same period, the proportion of cases completed within timely justice targets increased from 81% to 85%, allowing more than 58,000 victims to receive faster access to justice.