Hon Nicole McKee
Minister for Courts

Courts Minister Nicole McKee is welcoming the encouraging results from the 2025 Court User Survey, saying they reflect the efforts of court staff and ongoing work to fix what matters in the justice system.

“This year’s results show 82 per cent of respondents were satisfied with their experience at court, up from 76 per cent in 2023, the highest result since 2019,” says Mrs McKee.

“Going to court can be a stressful experience, so it’s heartening to see such positive feedback. These results are a testament to the dedication of our court staff and judges across the country.”

Mrs McKee says the survey reinforces that the Government’s focus on fixing what matters is delivering real improvements across almost all areas of the court system.

Other recent court improvements include:

• A 20 per cent reduction in the District Court criminal case backlog since April 2023.
• A 20 per cent reduction in active cases in the District Court's civil jurisdiction in the year to July 2025, with the average age of active cases dropping by a remarkable 36 per cent over the same period.
• The Disputes Tribunal has completed more than 900 extra cases in the year to July 2025, compared to the year prior, and a 21 per cent drop in aged cases.
• The active caseload in the Coroners Court has reduced by 15 per cent which can be attributed to the introduction of associate coroners, clinical advisors, and relief coroners.

“These improvements mean victims, families, and businesses are getting faster justice and closure, rather than being stuck in drawn-out proceedings.”

The survey also measured perceptions of safety in and around courthouses.

91 percent of respondents felt safe or very safe entering the courthouse, 95 per cent felt safe in the courtroom, and 89 per cent while giving evidence.

“Safety is fundamental to public trust in the justice system. Without it, justice simply cannot be delivered,” says Mrs McKee.

“While these results are overwhelmingly positive, further improvements are underway – especially with a focus on victims’ needs.

“Of those who said they felt unsafe at court, 17 per cent of respondents said it was because they were near the other party or their supporters.

“That’s why expanding the use of audio-visual links in court is so important. It allows participants to attend remotely so victims feel safer and speeds up court processes.

“Next year will see the rollout of further changes to fix what matters and deliver justice faster including the digital caseflow management system and an expanded role of community magistrates.”

Notes:

• The 2025 Court User Survey was completed by 2,006 court participants across 14 High Court and District courts.
• The Court User Survey helps the Ministry of Justice understand the experience of participants attending court. Information from the survey is used to support work to improve the experiences of court participants.
• Court participants are people who are at court as a party to a case or theirsupport people, or people at court to complete jury service or administrative legal matters. It excludes professionals at court such as judges, lawyers, and court staff.
• The Ministry has previously also run a separate Juror Satisfaction Survey. This year, that survey was combined with the Court User Survey, which included specific questions for jurors. Overall juror satisfaction was 87 per cent, which is comparable to previous years.
• The results of the 2025 Court User Survey can be read here: Court-User-Survey-2025-results.pdf

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