December Update
We had previously indicated we would be announcing the new rollout date for Phase 1 of Te Au Reka (Family Court jurisdiction, Contact Centre and Central Registry) in December 2025. The programme is still working on the new delivery date and the announcement will now be in March 2026, when we are further through testing the solution.
Te Au Reka is large and sophisticated programme, and it’s taking time to design and build the system to meet some of the more complex requirements of the court process.
The functionality built to date is good, and early demonstrations and business testing has been received positively. We’re focusing on robust build, thorough testing and designing our training.
By March 2026, we’ll be able to give firmer timeframes on training and rollout for Phase 1. We are starting to gather all the information that informs the detailed design work for Phase 2 (Civil and Criminal jurisdictions), which will start in early 2026.
November Update
A demonstration of the new digital Te Au Reka ePortal was shown at the recent New Zealand Law Society CLE Family Law Conference in Auckland.
The 460 attendees heard about Te Au Reka’s progress, what it will mean for the profession, and how they will be supported to use the solution. They saw a case file in the ePortal and the dashboard that shows a lawyer what’s happening across their cases. When available, the ePortal will be accessed through the Ministry of Justice, Courts of New Zealand and other websites.
Te Au Reka will be used by the judiciary, lawyers and court staff to manage cases. The public will also be able to use the ePortal, giving them more choice about how they interact with courts and tribunals.
You can view the ePortal demonstration: Lawyer User ePortal video(external link) (4:08mins). We will publish more updates and demonstrations for all users as they become available.
Digital Caseflow Management System
Te Au Reka is the new digital caseflow management system that will help to transform the administration of courts in New Zealand. It is a joint initiative of the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice, respecting our joint and separate responsibilities.
Te Au Reka will make a significant difference to all those who access and participate in our courts and tribunals, by establishing trusted, modern, and responsive digital case and court management capability. It will move courts and tribunals away from manually intensive, paper-based processes to a modern and proactive digital caseflow management system. This will reduce the potential for harm, improve the effectiveness of the court, and support access to justice.
We will implement Te Au Reka in three phases, starting with the Family Court.
Te Au Reka is a phrase used in a Tairāwhiti karakia (Māori prayer) for opening a new meeting house. Te Au translates as ‘current’ or ‘flow’, and Reka translates as ‘sweet, palatable and pleasant.’ Te Au Reka means the sweet flow.
Te Au Reka conjures an image of a caseflow management system that enables court processes to flow seamlessly from beginning to end.
Te Au Reka stands at the doorway of a modern court and tribunal system that is trusted, safe and responds to the needs of its users. It will positively impact the wellbeing of all those who interact with the court, making it easier to engage with the court and know what is happening.
In March 2023, the Chief Justice launched the Digital Strategy for the Courts and Tribunals of Aotearoa New Zealand.(external link) The Digital Strategy sets out the judiciary’s objectives and guiding principles for use of technology in courts. Te Au Reka was identified as one of the four priority initiatives for the judiciary, to ‘address the most acute justice infrastructure needs’ of New Zealand’s courts and tribunals.
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