Tauranga District Court. Photo: Google Maps / Supplied
Victim advocates and court lawyers say the country's increasingly dilapidated court buildings are not fit for purpose and are in some cases, causing harm.
Newly released documents paint a grim picture, with half the country's court buildings failing, some are not safe, many are leaking, and the cost of repairs has blown out past a billion dollars.
In these papers, released to RNZ, the Justice Ministry says more than half its assets are failing, with leaks, earthquake and services problems. It puts that down to chronic underspending.
In an internal document, it admits to spending just a fraction of what it should have been to keep the buildings up to scratch.
Tauranga's court building is so bad it has had to send all High Court sittings to Rotorua.
Ruth Money is an independent volunteer Victim Advocate, working daily in the courts assisting victims of serious crime.
Kathryn also speaks with Rotorua criminal barrister, Andy Hill
