Criminal Procedure (Simplification)

Opened 1 Jul 2007

Contact Details

• Andrea King
• AKing@lawcom.govt.nz
• 04 914 4824

Publications to date

22 Dec 2008		Issues Paper
22 Dec 2008		Press Release

Criminal Law
The Criminal Procedure (Simplification) project is being jointly conducted by the Ministry of Justice and the Law Commission. It has two objectives: to reduce unnecessary court delays, through legislative and operational change; and to create a more accessible and simplified criminal procedure. The project reflects many of the recommendations made in the Law Commission’s 2005 report Pre-Trial Processes: Justice Through Efficiency (NZLC R89). It also incorporates a reference received by the Commission to review the law relating to the suppression of names and evidence. The final product will be major changes to the operation of the criminal courts, supported by a new Criminal Procedure Bill to replace and reform relevant provisions of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957, District Courts Act 1947, and Crimes Act 1961. It is anticipated that a draft bill will be released for consultation at the end of 2009, before a final draft bill is developed for introduction and enacted in 2010.