A 20% drop in active cases marks the biggest shift yet in a broader justice system overhaul
Court backlogs have decreased across New Zealand’s justice system, with civil cases, disputes tribunals, and coroners courts all processing cases more quickly than a year ago.
Courts minister Nicole McKee announced the improvements last month, attributing the progress to targeted case management and additional judicial resources.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. Every day a case drags on is another day of stress for families, victims, and businesses. That’s why we’re focused on fixing what matters and getting the courts moving again”, McKee said.
The District Court’s civil jurisdiction showed the most significant reduction, with active cases dropping 20% in the 12 months to July 31, 2025, from 12,795 to 10,267. Completed cases increased 8% while new cases decreased 7%.
The average age of active civil cases fell 36% to 211 days, due to judicial oversight and the prioritisation of older cases for completion.
“This improvement in performance has been driven by targeting and managing older cases to completion along with careful judicial oversight, direction, and guidance”, McKee said.
The Disputes Tribunal completed more than 900 additional cases compared to the previous year through targeted case management. Cases older than 180 days decreased 21%, with 134 fewer aged cases than in July 2024.
According to McKee, the tribunal is working to eliminate physical files by creating an electronic case document repository, which is expected to accelerate processing times further.
In the Coroners Court, active cases decreased 15% from 5,882 to 4,990 in the year to July 31, 2025. The reduction was attributed to the introduction of associate coroners and clinical advisers, which enabled faster case progression.
The Ministry of Justice is evaluating the impact of the associate coroner and clinical adviser roles, with results expected in 2025/26.
“I want to acknowledge the efforts of all involved in these improvements, including joint efforts from the judiciary and wider ministry, as well as court staff who help people access justice every day”, McKee said. “There’s still a long way to go. But these results show that when you focus on fixing what matters, you can deliver a justice system that serves the people.”
