A nationwide survey launched by the University of Otago Legal Issues Centre this week is likely to shed new light on problems with delays and often substantial legal costs in the court system.
The centre, at the university Faculty of Law, yesterday sent a four-page mail survey to 10,000 households selected at random from the electoral roll, seeking opinions about New Zealand lawyers, judges, legal costs and court processes.
Selected participants should receive the surveys - to assess their perceptions of the court system - a few days later, centre organisers said.
Participants can complete the paper survey and return it in a free-post envelope, or complete the survey online at a password-protected internet site.
Survey participants could also volunteer for a one-on-one interview about their personal experiences in the court system, organisers said.
Prof Mark Henaghan, dean of the Otago faculty, said anecdotal evidence suggested the court system was not working as well as people expected.
The interviews would "give us the data to really understand what changes need to be made", he said.
"Courts have made continuing efforts to improve the experience of court users through initiatives like case management and rule changes, but no-one has looked at the system holistically to see where improvements should be made," he said.
Retired High Court judge John Hansen, who is a consultant to the centre, said that delay had been "a burning issue in the court system for many years".
More recently, there had also been "adverse commentary" about the cost of legal services and court fees.
"The judiciary, the legal profession, and court administrators have invested enormous resources in addressing these problems without success."
It was hoped the survey-based research would result in positive recommendations for improvements, he said.
The centre is an independent group which aims to promote, through its research, "a more accessible, affordable and efficient legal system" for all New Zealanders.
