Courts and Access to Justice

Abstract

(This article was presented as a lecture at the Australasian Law Teachers' Association Conference held at Victoria University of Wellington, 6 July 1999.) Ensuring access to justice is one of the most basic functions of the state. The author discusses the role and functioning of the Court of Appeal, the operation of the legal aid system in New Zealand, and the extent to which the operations of the court system should be open to the public. It is argued that any system of justice should reflect the values of its society. The author concludes that what is thought desirable in these three areas will change over time, and that there will always be a need for fine-tuning in light of societal values.