Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
Lawyers say industrial action by court staff is slowing down proceedings by up to 50 per cent - affecting victims, witnesses, jurors, defendants, family members, lawyers and judges in a system already battling huge backlogs.
Court staff have been working to rule for nearly three weeks, as they negotiate a collective agreement.
This involves taking stipulated breaks at times when the court would normally be in session and finishing on the dot of 5pm - or sometimes earlier.
The justice system is still dealing with a massive backlog of thousands of cases delayed by the pandemic.
Vice President of the Criminal Bar Association, Chris Wilkenson-Smith, says the current industrial action is making things significantly worse. Kathryn also speaks with PSA national sector justice lead Willie Cochran
