The Chairperson of the Justice Committee is calling for public submissions on the Judicature (Timeliness) Legislation Amendment Bill. The objective of the bill is to improve timeliness in New Zealand’s courts by maximising judicial resources. It aims to ensure that judicial time is focused on the most critical tasks and decisions.

The bill would amend the Senior Courts Act 2016, the Criminal Procedure Act 2011, and the Coroners Act 2006. It would:

• increase by two the number of High Court Judges that could be appointed, from 55 to 57
• make procedural amendments to minimise the volume of proceedings that abuse the process of the courts
• reduce duplication at the pre-trial stage and maximise the use of judicial and court resources
• allow appeals to the Court of Appeals relating to District Court decisions to be heard by a court at the appropriate level
• enable coroners to close an inquiry if it were no longer appropriate to conduct an inquiry because of new information or changed circumstances.

Tell the Justice Committee what you think

Make a submission on the bill by 1pm on Wednesday 25 June 2025.

For more details about the bill:

• Read the full content of the bill
• Get more details about the bill
• What’s been said in Parliament about the bill?

© Scoop Media