Hearing guidelines and revised protocol came into effect on 1 August
Nicole McKee, minister for courts, shared that new data revealed a notable decrease in District Court sentencing adjournments, with case review hearing guidelines taking effect across New Zealand on 1 August expected to build on this positive progress.
Heemi Taumaunu, chief District Court judge, introduced the newly effective guidelines, according to the government’s news release.
“These guidelines provide a clear process for reviewing evidence and resolving issues before trial, improving scheduling accuracy and court efficiency,” McKee said in the news release. “They have been piloted successfully in Auckland and Waitākere District Courts and are an important step in reducing court backlogs.”
The government said the positive progress in terms of sentencing adjournments reflected ongoing collaborative efforts to enhance the courts’ efficiency.
“Over the past two years, sentencing adjournments in the criminal jurisdiction have fallen from 36 to 29 per cent, resulting in nearly 2,900 fewer delayed sentencing hearings,” McKee said. “This means more cases are proceeding as planned, freeing up court time and helping more people access timely justice.”
In the news release, McKee attributed the promising progress to the District Court timeliness program; the Sentencing Ready team, supported by priority rostering; and the prosecutions uplift program.
“With national backlogs decreasing, we are seeing real results from these collective efforts to keep our courts moving,” McKee said.
The government’s news release said decreasing delays helps hasten justice and benefits victims, court parties, witnesses, and their families by enabling them to proceed with their lives.
McKee also welcomed the implementation of a revised protocol for judge-alone trials across all District Courts, as of 1 August.
According to the government’s news release, the update includes a registrar-led teleconference between prosecution and defence three weeks prior to trials.
The government said the judge-alone trial protocol’s changes seek to help courts begin reviewing cases earlier, prioritise scheduled matters, and make the most out of judicial time.
“Improving court performance remains a key priority for this Government,” McKee said in the news release. “We appreciate the judiciary and justice sector’s collaboration in refining this important protocol.”
The government’s news release said the protocol’s revisions reflected feedback from judges, lawyers, and justice agencies.
Introduced in 2021 and piloted in some courts the following year, the protocol aims to improve case readiness and support Chief Judge Taumaunu’s timely access to justice standard, striving to resolve 90 percent of criminal cases within specified timeframes, according to the news release.
“Our goal is fair and timely justice for victims, defendants, witnesses, and whānau, helping communities heal and move on,” McKee said.
