The Government has announced the rollout date for the Ministry of Justice’s new digital caseflow management system. It will support case management, judicial decision making and court and tribunal management and will enable participants to engage with courts and tribunals online.
The system will begin rolling out in the Family Court in July 2026.
Planning for a second phase of development for the Civil and Criminal jurisdictions of both the High Court and District Court, is set to begin later this year and expected to rollout in the second half of 2027.
A third and final phase of development will focus on the appeals processes, including the Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. It will also include rollout for Environment Court, Coroners Court, and the Disputes Tribunal. The third phase is set to begin in 2026 and rollout in late 2028.
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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