Chief justice highlights court system collaboration, security concerns in year-end message
Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann has highlighted the collaboration between the legal profession and the judiciary to improve the court system as a 2024 “stand-out” feature, reported the NZ Law Society.
In a year-end message published by the New Zealand Law Society, Winkelmann praised “the extent to which the profession and judiciary have worked together to make our court system better – safer, more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of its users”. She pointed to monthly meetings between the chief high court judge and chief district court judge and senior representatives of the profession, as well as to meetings with the local profession in courthouses.
Winkelmann also lauded the partnership between the judiciary and government agencies involved in criminal justice as they sought to address issues in the criminal justice system. The Law Society also helped to gather representatives from the profession to assist the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice in determining the scope and design of the digital case flow management system Te Au Reka.
“These are just some examples of the profession’s contribution this year to make the systems that support our courts better and, ultimately, more just. I have no doubt that the cooperation and goodwill the profession brings to these many forums is critical to our court system”, she said.
Nonetheless, she also raised growing security and wellbeing concerns, particularly in courthouses following a rash of attacks on lawyers.
“Security is a priority for the judiciary. This year has seen a rise in number of onsite assaults across all courts. I take the concerns that the profession has expressed in relation to security very seriously”, Winkelmann said. “Next year I expect the profession will be more directly involved in the thinking and the work already underway to meet what are very legitimate security concerns”.
She added that the judiciary could also share information and educational opportunities to support the profession. She singled out the Criminal Jury Trials Bench Book published last month, which she said enabled criminal lawyers to access information on elements of offences and evidential directions to simplify trial preparation.
“A couple of constructive suggestions raised by practitioners have already led to minor improvements to this bench book. More bench books will be released next year – beginning with Te Puna Manawa Whenua | The Māori Land Court Bench Book, then the Sexual Violence Bench Book and Kia Mana te Tangata | Judging in Context: A Handbook”, Winkelmann said.
She added that she intended to make all bench books accessible to the public. Additionally, she revealed that Te Kura Kaiwhakawā would start working on joint educational opportunities for the judiciary and the profession. Topics that were being floated included caregiver sentencing, diversity education and seminars focusing on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s report and recommendations.