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Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams says the $300 million Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct build is well advanced and on track to be fully operational in mid-2017.

The anchor project brings together all justice and emergency services in one purpose-built precinct in central Christchurch.

“The new Precinct is designed to provide Cantabrians and those who work in our courts with modern and effective justice and emergency services,” says Ms Adams.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the completion of New Plymouth Courthouse’s $3.9 million upgrade.

“The renovations are the largest upgrade to New Plymouth’s 50-year old court,” says Ms Adams.

“The upgraded courthouse includes a refreshed registry space bringing all court registry staff into the one building, and creating one contact point for court customers.

Justice Minister Amy Adams today announced the garden at the Auckland High Court would be developed as a memorial garden in memory of former High Court Judge, Sir Robert Chambers.

“This is a fitting tribute to someone who served the law with distinction and was highly regarded among New Zealand’s legal fraternity,” says Ms Adams.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams has welcomed a new pilot programme which sees Community Magistrates sitting in Christchurch from today  – the first time the judicial officers have sat in the South Island.

The Christchurch pilot programme will run for two months and is part of the work of the Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct project to test new ways of working to benefit the justice system. 

The recent upgrade to audio visual technology in the Hastings Court is a welcome addition to the network of courts and prisons which allows remote appearances in courts, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams says.

“Equipping the Hastings Court with an audio-visual link (AVL) will increase the number of defendants who make virtual appearances in our courts without leaving prison,” says Ms Adams.

Parliament has passed legislation tonight that updates and modernises the century-old law underpinning New Zealand courts.

Twenty-three Bills divided from the Bill formerly known as the Judicature Modernisation Bill were passed into law with widespread support.

“At more than 1000 pages, the legislation was one of the biggest law-making tasks ever undertaken by Parliament,” says Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams.

South Island company Amalgamated Builders has won the contract to upgrade and refurbish Dunedin’s historic Stuart Street courthouse, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams announced today.

Work will start in early October and is expected to finish in December 2017.

The Evidence Amendment Bill will reduce unnecessary trauma and better protect victims who become involved in the court process through no fault of their own, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams says.

“Giving evidence can be especially tough for young and vulnerable witnesses. The changes we’re making through this Bill will help to make the court process less traumatic for those it may affect the most,” says Ms Adams.

A Bill modernising and consolidating New Zealand’s century-old courts legislation took a leap forward in Parliament today.

The Judicature Modernisation Bill passed its Committee of the Whole House stage in Parliament, with widespread support.

“This Bill updates the 108-year-old Judicature Act 1908 and associated legislation that underpins New Zealand courts,” says Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams, says justice service co-locations and refurbishments in two Auckland courts will save more than $5.3 million over 10 years and improve support for victims of crime.

The National Transcription Service will be folded into the North Shore District Court, and the Legal Complaints Review Office and the Weather Tight Homes unit will be relocated to the Auckland District Court.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams has applauded an initiative by local judges and staff to create a child friendly space for children giving evidence in the Whangarei courthouse. 

“Going to court can be a scary and stressful time for vulnerable child witnesses. It’s important that the justice system is accessible for everyone, including children who are caught up in cases through no fault of their own,” says Ms Adams.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams has welcomed a new joint initiative to use video-conferencing to enable judges to appear virtually in remote courts.

The initiative, involving Family Court judges in Northland and Southland/Central Otago, aims to reduce the number of judicial and court users travelling to remote locations for short fixtures and reduce adjournments associated with poor weather.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams and Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell have congratulated the Ministry of Justice on winning the IPANZ Excellence Award for Crown-Māori Relationships for the innovative Rangatahi Courts initiative.

"This award is a superb endorsement of the partnership between the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary to deliver a process that better engages Maori young offenders, drawing on the strength of whānau and iwi,” says Ms Adams.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams has today met with Rotorua court staff and heard about their community initiatives, as part of a local visit.

“The Rotorua court team are doing some incredible work, which includes running the ninth busiest criminal court in the country,” says Ms Adams.

Ms Adams visited the Rotorua court, where a court has operated on the Tutanekai Street site since 1884.

The pioneering work of the Ngā Kooti Rangatahi/Rangatahi Court has been acknowledged in its receipt of the 2015 Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration Award (AIJA) for Excellence in Judicial Administration, says Courts and Justice Minister Amy Adams.   

“I want to congratulate the judges and Ministry of Justice, in particular the Chief District Court Judge and Principal Youth Court Judge, and Youth Court Judge Heemi Taumaunu who established the first Rangatahi Court in Gisborne back in 2008,” says Ms Adams.

Budget 2016 invests heavily in core justice services, with $208.4 million in additional funding over the next four years – the largest increase to Justice and Courts in almost a decade, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams says.

“This investment underpins the Government’s commitment to delivering core justice services and keeping New Zealanders safe. It will better support access to justice and strengthen efficiencies across the system,” Ms Adams says. 

A pilot to support judges to make better informed family violence bail decisions expands to Wellington, Wairarapa and Northland, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Police Minister Judith Collins have announced today.

The pilot programme gives judges making bail decisions in family violence cases more information about the risks defendants pose.

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams placed the last bit of cement on the Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct’s rooftop as part of today’s topping off ceremony.

“This marks an important milestone in the Precinct’s development as well as a chance to recognise the significant progress we have made since construction began 15 months ago,” Ms Adams says.

“There’s now just over a year to go until we deliver on our commitment to provide Cantabrians with modern and effective justice and emergency services.

Policies to tackle youth crime are succeeding with the number of children and young people appearing in New Zealand’s courts dropping by more than 60 percent since 2007/8, Justice Minister Amy Adams says.

In the 2007/08 financial year, 4998 children and young people (10-16 year olds) appeared in youth courts. By the 2014/15 financial year, this had dropped by almost 61 per cent to 1959.

Ms Adams says the Government remains committed to driving down youth crime.