New Zealand’s District Courts are set to welcome 100 more staff members as a result of the funding boost to the
Ministry of Justice.
In the recently revealed Budget 2017,
$2bn was earmarked by the government for law-and-order agencies, which includes a $1.24bn boost to operating funding over the next four years. It also included $238.2m for the ministry.
Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams said then that the budget provides an additional $1.52bn for the justice sector to improve services and further reduce crime impact on Kiwis. Now, Andrew Bridgman, chief executive of the Ministry of Justice has revealed that the authority will receive $145.8m over four years to fund core justice and court services.
“As part of that, District Court personnel and operating expenses have been allocated $47.6b over four years. This will fund an extra 100 court staff next year rising to a total of 130 by 2020/21,” Bridgman
told the
New Zealand Law Society. “The additional funding is largely in recognition of the recent increase, and projected increase, in demand from Category 3 court cases, which are more complex for us to deal with.”
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