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Courts Minister Chester Borrows today demonstrated new technology under development by the Ministry of Justice, called eBench, which will significantly reduce the court’s reliance on paper.

“Our courts are old fashioned in that everything is still paper based and requires manual handling to move it through the system. With 250 000 Police charges filed each year, this paperwork imposes a significant cost on the court system,” says Mr Borrows.

Associate Social Development Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the report of the Social Services Committee into the identification, rehabilitation, and care and protection of child offenders.

“The Social Services Committee has produced a thought-provoking report, which raises very important questions around the way we deal with children apprehended committing offences,” says Mr Borrows.

Mr Borrows particularly noted concerns around delays in processes to deal with child offenders, especially between apprehension and resolution.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows today announced the construction of a purpose-built facility for Youth Court hearings at Christchurch’s Ngā Hau e Whā marae.

Fees being introduced for civil disputes in the Family Court will help to better focus its resources, Courts Minister Chester Borrows said today.

The new fees are only for applications for division of assets and child care arrangements and come into effect on 1 July 2012.

Mr Borrows said that a fee waiver regime was being retained to ensure people with limited means had access to the Court. Fees do not apply for domestic violence cases, such as protection orders, or care and protection applications.

A new government data-matching initiative has collected over $16 million in hard-to-catch fines in its first seven months, Minister for Courts Chester Borrows announced today.

The amount collected is already more than the $15.6 million targeted for the first full year of the initiative. The scheme, which involves data-matching with the Inland Revenue Department and the Ministry of Social Development, was launched on 16 October 2011.

The Government is modernising the court system to improve the way it works for all New Zealanders, Courts Minister Chester Borrows says.

“This Government is committed to a modern and accessible justice system as part of our wider drive for better public services,” he says. “For the courts, this means delivering the services people demand, while also being responsible with taxpayers’ dollars.”

The Justice Ministry is implementing a number of initiatives to transform the way courts and tribunal services are delivered.

Revenue Minister Peter Dunne and Associate Minister of Social Development Chester Borrows today announced the signing of an Order in Council to expand information sharing between Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Social Development.

Mr Dunne described the order as a positive and welcome step forward for improving efficiency and fairness.

“This is a great example of government agencies finding new, more efficient ways to work smarter to deliver a great result for the New Zealand taxpayer,” Mr Dunne said.

Justice Minister Judith Collins and Acting Corrections Minister Chester Borrows today announced Government plans to reduce unnecessary parole hearings for offenders which will reduce stress for victims of crime.

“Cabinet has agreed to introduce screening of offenders to postpone unnecessary parole hearings where an offender has little chance of release,” Ms Collins said.

Associate Justice Minister Chester Borrows today launched a new Government initiative with the New Zealand Retailers Association promoting the safe storage, display and sale of knives.

“This new initiative, called SAFE, is a voluntary initiative outlining to retailers four simple steps they can use to ensure knives are stored, displayed and sold safely in their shops. These are store and display knives safely, ask if concerned, focus on preventing theft, and educate employees,” says Mr Borrows.

Associate Justice Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the resignation of Papamoa Justice of the Peace Martin Elliott.

“Justices of the Peace have always been people of high standing in our communities. The nature of their role means they must be people of unquestionable honesty and integrity,” says Mr Borrows.

Elliott, a former Hamilton high school principal, pleaded guilty and was convicted recently of two fraud charges relating to work done on his personal property which was invoiced as part of a school construction project being undertaken at the time.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the opening of the new Christchurch courthouse.

The new courthouse, which is capable of holding jury trials, was officially opened by Mr Borrows at a ceremony in Christchurch this morning. Court services will begin on Monday 19 March.

“Today’s opening of the Cambridge Terrace Courthouse is an important step in the resumption of justice services in Christchurch,” says Mr Borrows.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the opening of a new-look lobby at the Manukau District Court.

The design repositions the court’s baggage x-ray unit at a new purpose built entrance to the building. It creates a better flow of people through the lobby and on to the defined spaces each housing the Family, Youth, and District Courts.

“The improved lobby will help people move throughout the court while still ensuring that all Court users are screened when entering the building,” Mr Borrows said.

A new advertising campaign that hits television screens on Sunday highlights new consequences for people that refuse to pay fines and reparation, Courts Minister Chester Borrows says.

The 15-second television commercial is part of the Ministry of Justice’s “Pay your fines, or pay the price” campaign and is timed to coincide with the first provisions of the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill coming into force on February 13.

The recovery of justice services in Christchurch is making excellent progress, Minister for Courts Chester Borrows said during a visit to the city today.

Minister Borrows visited seven Ministry of Justice facilities, including the successful District Court operation at Ngā Hau e Whā marae in the eastern suburbs, and the site of a new central city courthouse.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows congratulated Ministry of Justice staff today, following the successful launch of a regional way of working across district courts in New Zealand’s most populous region.

From today, services offered at each of the six district courts in the region – North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, Manukau, Pukekohe and Papakura – will be managed regionally to ensure better service delivery at the local level.

Earthquake recovery continues to have widespread impact on court and justice services across New Zealand, Minister for Courts Chester Borrows said today.

A firsthand look inside Christchurch’s main courthouse yesterday provided a valuable insight into the demands of frontline recovery efforts. The Minister visited the main court building in Durham Street, as well as viewing the Family Court on Armagh Street which opened for hearings in mid-November.