With more than $1 billion being poured into the courts system, delays and backlogs in several tribunals have reached the highest level ever under Labour, who are again failing to deliver outcomes for New Zealanders, National’s Courts spokesperson Chris Penk says.

“Recently released data has shown that the courts system is continuing to crumble, with backlogs remaining as bad as ever.

“Delays in the resolution of cases in some tribunals have ballooned by over 600 per cent, failing to help vulnerable people achieve a timely resolution of justice.

“Courts Minister Rino Tirikatene recently told a select committee hearing that criminal hearings at the District Court system have come back down to pre-Covid 19 levels, but his own data has proved him wrong.

“Recently released information on the state of the courts system makes its abundantly clear that he is not across his portfolio.

Since 2017, the average time to dispose of an application with the Land Valuation tribunal has increased 636 per cent, applications to the Tenancy tribunal have increased 385 per cent, while applications to the Customs Appeal Authority and Human Rights Tribunal have more than doubled.

National has suggested to successive Labour Ministers that better use of audio-visual technology would be an easily employable and pragmatic tool to reduce the backlogs and expedite case flow.

“Despite an extra $50 million going into the courts system each year since 2017, outcomes have not improved.

“A National government would make it a priority to decrease backlogs across the whole courts system, providing victims and claimants with swift and simple access to justice.”

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