In response to a recommendation in the 2015 Law Commission report, The Justice Response to Victims of Sexual Violence (#4889), the Sexual Violence Court Pilot (SVCP) was created as a judicial initiative to establish best practice for the conduct of Category 3 sexual violence trials, within existing legislation. The aims of the pilot are to reduce delays and improve the courtroom experience for complainants, while preserving the rights to a fair trial for defendants. The SVCP has been established in the Auckland and Whangārei District Courts, beginning in December 2016. It is supported by a governance group comprising the Chief District Court Judge, three other members of the judiciary and Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) representatives (including the pilot project manager and the judicial resource manager).

A preliminary evaluation found positive early impacts from the pilot. Now a comprehensive and independent evaluation has been conducted by the Ministry. This report presents the findings of a qualitative study that collected data from a wide range of stakeholders involved in the pilot including complainant witnesses, and relevant quantitative data provided by the Ministry. (From the Executive summary).

Follow the links for SVCP Best practice guidelines and the media release (Acting Chief District Court Judge, 14 August 2019). Record #6356