This Government bill is part of a package amending Ministry of Justice regulatory systems; it fixes legislative inconsistencies, reduces administrative burden, and clarifies and expands the powers and jurisdiction of judicial officers. It is before Parliament.
Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (second reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.
This Government bill is a 'regulatory systems' tidy-up for the courts — the kind of bill that bundles many small, technical fixes to keep the justice system running smoothly. It corrects inconsistencies and out-of-date wording across several court-related laws, cuts unnecessary administrative steps, and clarifies and in places widens the powers and jurisdiction of judges and other court officials.
It was introduced by Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee as the first in a planned series of bills to make the courts more efficient. In practice it makes procedural changes — for example, more flexibility in how juries are selected, such as allowing large jury panels to be chosen off-site to make better use of jurors' time. Because it is largely administrative, it has attracted little public controversy.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.