Courts minister expects update to benefit small businesses
Nicole McKee, courts minister, has announced that the Disputes Tribunal at the Wellington District Court has transitioned to electronic case files in an effort to ensure swift justice, reduce delays, and enhance efficiency and flexibility for remote hearings.
“The changes are a practical example of fixing what matters,” McKee said in a news release from the government.
McKee explained that the shift seeks to help tribunal referees and staff securely access and upload case information from anywhere in the country, as well as position the system for future improvements.
“Right now, Disputes Tribunal locations across the country still rely on paper case files in a world where nearly every other part of life has moved online,” McKee said.
McKee shared that the Christchurch District Court previously shifted to electronic case files on 17 November, while the Auckland Metro Hub is next in line in February 2026.
In the news release, McKee emphasised the importance of the Disputes Tribunal, a District Court division.
McKee stressed that the tribunal helps contractors, suppliers, and small business owners speedily and affordably resolve their issues, including those concerning defective goods, poor workmanship, pricing disagreements, damages from vehicular accidents, or boundary disputes.
“For many of these people, getting back what they’re owed isn’t just about principle,” McKee said in the government’s news release. “It can be the difference between staying afloat and shutting their doors. Swift justice helps them move on with their lives and keep their businesses operating.”
McKee noted that tribunal participants could still file claims on paper as well as online.
On 21 October 2025, McKee shared that the District Court’s backlog of criminal cases had gone down by around 1,700 cases, representing a 20 percent decline since April 2023.
“After five years of continuous growth in the backlog of criminal cases in the District Court, I’m pleased to see the backlog is turning around under this Government, fixing what matters for victims,” McKee said in a prior news release.
McKee attributed the slashed backlog to ‘a whole of justice sector approach’ that featured collaboration among the judiciary and numerous agencies, with the goal of ensuring timely access to justice.
In the government’s news release, McKee highlighted recent operational initiatives under the District Court’s timely justice program that helped improve the judicial system’s efficiency, timeliness, and performance.
“Being able to make such a significant impact on the backlog in the District Court’s criminal jurisdiction contributes to the wider goal of providing timely access to justice,” McKee said. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
