Less paper to clog system

Changes to speed up court cases begin today in the biggest overhaul of the court system in 50 years.

Wanganui court services manager Marcus Vettise says the changes will modernise the courts and greatly reduce delays, getting cases heard faster.

The changes are part of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 which was passed with near unanimous support by Parliament in 2011.

Another change in the Act is that courts will no longer be required to have a paper record.

Under the new legislation, judges will access an electronic system where police will file their charging documents and not have to physically turn up to court to present paper copies.

This will mean more than 200,000 paper documents a year will no longer need to be filed at court.

The emphasis is on the prosecution and defence meeting outside of court and discussing each case. By the time the case comes in front of a judge or jury they are ready to present their evidence.

With new cases coming before the court, it will mean fewer wasted appearances where cases are simply not progressed, quicker disposal times and a more understandable and efficient system.

Mr Vettise says the new system is good for everyone in the system, but especially for people who are in court through no fault of their own, such as victims, witnesses and their families.

The changes are expected to reduce the average time it takes to resolve a court case by six to nine weeks, reduce the number of cases requiring a jury trial by at least 350 a year, and eliminate more than 30,000 unnecessary court events each year, a saving of about 10,000 sitting hours.

However, existing cases in the current system are expected to take two years to clear.

Another change to the justice system will see Corrections submit pre-sentence reports electronically, and the final stage will enable judges to view case information and record decisions electronically.