10. CHESTER BORROWS (National—Whanganui) Link to this
to the Minister of Justice
What recent changes has he announced to the Public Defence Service?
Hon SIMON POWER (Minister of Justice) Link to this
The Public Defence Service, which is administered by the Legal Services Agency, is an in-house service providing criminal legal aid and duty solicitor services for up to one-third of all legally aided defendants in Auckland and Manukau courts. As part of the Budget, the Government is providing $5.3 million in the year to come to expand that pilot service from the courts in Auckland and Manukau, to include courts in Waitakere, North Shore, Pukekohe, and Papakura.
A recent value-for-money analysis found that the flow of Public Defence Service cases through the court system led to a two-thirds reduction in jury trials, resulting in material savings in court time and cost. That backed up an earlier evaluation. Those savings were achieved with no difference in outcome for the client, as measured by overall conviction rates.