Chief Justice's 2024 Annual Report
3 September 2025
Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann has today released her 2024 Annual Report. The report provides information about judges, about the role and responsibilities of the judicial branch of government, and about the work of the courts in 2024.
Of particular note, the Annual Report discusses:
- Information on the role of the judiciary in New Zealand’s constitutional framework, information on how the branches of government work together, and the bounds of judicial engagement with policy formation (Part 1)
- Work underway to address delay and improve efficiencies in the courts (Part 2)
- The judiciary’s response to the recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care (pages 64-65)
- Resourcing issues facing the courts that contribute to delay, including insufficient courtrooms in some areas (page 39), and insufficient judges on some benches (page 22)
- Steps the judiciary is taking to ensure that technology adopted in the courts strengthens and does not hamper access to justice (from page 70)