Appendix 1 – Operational Service Details

Operational services

The Ministry delivers the following operational services on behalf of government:

• administration, case management and support services to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and District Courts, including the Family Court and the Youth Court

• collection and enforcement of court-imposed monetary penalties and infringement .nes, and enforcement of civil court orders

• administration, case management and support services to specialist jurisdictions including the Mäori Land Court, Mäori Appellate Court, Environment Court, Employment Court, Coroners,and a range of authorities and tribunals including the Disputes Tribunals and the Tenancy Tribunal

• delivery of registry services, claims administration, research services, hearings management, judicial support, and report-writing services to the Waitangi Tribunal

• negotiations for settlement of historical claims arising from the Treaty of Waitangi and management of land for use in settlements

• administration of parliamentary elections, by-elections and referenda. The ministry works closely with other agencies in the justice sector such as New Zealand Police, the Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Social Development, to advance the sector’s common goal of a safe and just society for New Zealand.

STRUCTURE

The Ministry is organised into three business groups: Operations, Policy and Legal, and Strategy and Corporate.

The Ministry is also responsible for the Chief Electoral Office.

Operations

Our Operations Group delivers the majority of the Ministry’s services to the public. The Operations Group comprises four business units: Higher Courts; District Courts; Special Jurisdictions, and Collections.

Higher Courts is responsible for the administration, case management and support services for the Supreme Court – New Zealand’s court of final appeal – and the Court of Appeal, both of which are located in Wellington; for the High Court, and for the Courts Martial Appeal Court.

The High Court deals with major criminal cases, and those civil claims that exceed the jurisdiction of the District Courts or other courts and tribunals, or where particularly complex issues are involved. There are 17 High Courts nationwide, comprising three sole High Courts (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch) and 14 combined courts (High Court and District Courts housed together). There are also two additional filing registries (Masterton and Tauranga) where cases can be filed but no High Courts are located. District Courts, the largest business unit within the Operations Group, with 61 courts nationwide, is responsible for the administration, case management and support services for District Courts. The courts comprise criminal and civil jurisdictions and two specialist divisions – the Family Court and the Youth Court. The judges in the Family Court and Youth Court are specialists and must hold a specific warrant to preside in each.

The District Courts deal with the majority of criminal and civil cases in the court system – approximately 300,000 cases and applications a year.

Special Jurisdictions provides the administration, case management and support services for the Mäori Land Court, Employment Court, Environment Court, Coroners, Waitangi Tribunal, Disputes Tribunals, Tenancy Tribunal and a diverse range of other committees, tribunals, authorities and judicial and quasi-judicial officers dealing with civil jurisdictions.

The Higher Courts, District Courts and Special Jurisdictions units work with the judiciary and judicial officers, and other agencies to improve court processing and workloads across all jurisdictions, and to ensure the smooth running of the courts that supports independent judicial decision making.

The Collections business unit has three roles:

1. collection and enforcement of fines, including court- imposed fines, infringements filed in District Courts, reparation, court costs and fees;
   
   
2. enforcement of civil judgments or orders on behalf of judgment creditors where payment has been ordered by the court; and
   
   
3. serving of court documents.

Collections teams are located in District Courts where people can go to arrange, and make, fine payments. Collections, also has dedicated contact centres in Auckland and Wellington.

Strategy and Corporate

The Strategy and Corporate Group provides key functions that enable Operations and Policy and Legal to deliver their services and also help to integrate the organisation as a whole.

These functions include human resources, information technology, property services, court security, business assurance, project management methodology and support, communications, finance, planning and reporting, and facilities and office management.

The Sector Strategy business unit takes the lead role in our relationship with the justice sector – its role includes coordination of sector-wide initiatives, management of the sector Budget process, coordination of the Justice Sector Information Strategy, evaluation of initiatives and monitoring of the performance of a significant number of Crown entities and other organisations that are funded through Vote Justice.

Policy and Legal

The Policy and Legal Group is responsible for the development of justice-related policy and legislation, and the negotiation and settlement of historical claims pursuant to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Policy and Legal, works closely with the Operations Group to ensure that policy is informed by operational experience and implementation plans are developed alongside policy and legislation. The group provides advice to Ministers on crime prevention and criminal justice (including the Crime Reduction Strategy, sentencing and parole, and youth justice), and public law (including constitutional, family, human rights, access to justice, foreshore and seabed, commercial, property and regulatory law).

The Crime Prevention Unit works with local authorities and other providers to develop, support and fund community based crime prevention initiatives.

Chief Electoral Office

The Chief Electoral Office conducts general elections, by-elections and referenda. In a general election year, the office employs returning officers for the 69 electorates. It receives returns of donations and election expenses from parliamentary candidates. It also provides information to voters, candidates and parties relating to electoral events.