An omnibus bill amending several court statutes to improve timeliness, including raising the statutory maximum number of High Court judges and changing procedures in coronial and criminal cases.
Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (committee of whole house, first reading, second reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.
These are claims MPs made in Parliament’s debate — not verified facts.
This omnibus bill amends several court statutes with the aim of making the justice system faster and reducing delays. Its changes include raising the statutory maximum number of High Court judges so more judges can be appointed, and adjusting procedures in coronial cases (official inquiries into deaths) and in criminal cases to help clear backlogs. It affects the courts, judges and coroners, as well as litigants, defendants and bereaved families who wait for cases and inquiries to be resolved.
The bill is a government measure responding to long-standing concern about court delays and growing caseloads. Supporters argue that allowing more judges and streamlining procedures will cut backlogs, shorten waiting times and improve access to justice. Critics, including submitters such as the Law Society, raised concerns about particular procedural changes and their effect on fairness and process, and questioned whether adding judges alone addresses the deeper, systemic causes of delay without wider resourcing of the court system.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.