The Chief Justice says major change within the court system must happen, and the Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the issues. Jury trials were suspended in March because of the virus, and will only resume in August. At last estimate, 60-thousand events were backlogged across the court system. The Chief Justice, Dame Helen Winkelmann, says people on remand, awaiting trial or sentencing are most affected. She says the remand population is unacceptable, the court system too complex, and the cost of litigation too high. Justice Winkelmann describes the experience of pandemic as a 'cauldron' but maintains significant change can happen quickly.
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