Hon Simon Power
Minister of Justice

2 December 2009
Media Statement

Justice Minister opens new PDS office

Public defender services and duty solicitor reforms were expanded today with the opening of the service at Waitakere District Court.

The PDS, which is administered by the Legal Services Agency, is an in-house service which provides criminal legal aid and duty solicitor services to up to one third of all legally aided defendants. Private sector lawyers look after the rest.

Justice Minister Simon Power announced in June that the PDS and duty solicitor reforms, which were trialled at Auckland and Manukau courts, would be expanded to Waitakere, North Shore, Pukekohe and Papakura. Budget 2009 allocated $5.3 million for this.

Justice Minister Simon Power told today's opening ceremony that the PDS was "one of the shining lights of the New Zealand legal aid system".

"The Public Defence Service is a cost-effective way of providing services – and this means more services can be provided to clients."

He said the training and development offered by the PDS was excellent, and went some way to addressing problems in those areas identified last week by Dame Margaret Bazley in her review of the legal aid system.

"She and I agree that the Public Defence Service is a cornerstone of any future legal aid system.

"Though I anticipate there will be major changes, these will take place on a careful and considered basis, and will build on the existing strengths and resources in the system. I know we can achieve a more client-centred system which all New Zealanders can have confidence in."

He acknowledged the work of the team at the Legal Services Agency, who built up the case for the PDS.

Further to the Budget, it's planned that the PDS will be expanded to North Shore, Pukekohe, and Papakura in the first half of next year.

The PDS

The PDS was established at Auckland and Manukau courts in 2004 as a five-year pilot, and in August last year the LSA made it permanent. Two independent evaluations found it offers savings in lawyer costs when compared to the estimated cost of equivalent private providers (a saving of $985,000 savings over the period of the pilot). These savings were achieved with no difference in outcome for clients, as measured by overall conviction rates.
Duty solicitor reforms include appointing supervisors to manage the service at the court and to assess the competence of trainee duty solicitors.

ENDS

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