Dunedin's Public Defence Service (PDS) office has been officially opened by Minister of Justice Judith Collins.
It was the first PDS office established in the South Island and began operating at the Dunedin District and High Courts last November.
PDS director Brendan Horsley said the Dunedin service was the third to open in New Zealand in 2011.
Ms Collins said the Dunedin office would support the cost-effective, high-quality legal aid system towards which the Government was working.
"It is well-regarded by judges, prosecutors and court staff, and delivers great value for money.
"The PDS delivers quality defence services to some of the most vulnerable people in New Zealand," Ms Collins said.
The service was established at the country's busiest courts, where there were enough criminal legal aid cases to support it as well as the private sector criminal law practices.
Ms Collins would next officially open the Hawkes Bay PDS office, bringing the number of those bases to nine nationwide.
Under the PDS, salaried lawyers delivered legal aid and duty lawyer services alongside private lawyers.
Senior barrister Campbell Savage, of Dunedin, was the deputy public defender for the PDS in Dunedin. He worked alongside Catherine Ure and Andrew Dawson, appointed PDS lawyers.
Once it had reached its maximum caseload, the Dunedin PDS office should employ about 10 lawyers, including duty lawyer supervisors.
