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New Zealand Jury Summons Non-Response Hits 31.5% in 2025

8/14/2026

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Summary

NZ Jury Non-Response

New Zealand recorded a 31.5% non-response rate to jury summons in 2025, the highest in five years.
The Ministry of Justice sends summons to 200,000 people each year and allows deferral for up to 12 months.
Under the Juries Act 1981, non-attendance can incur a $1,000 fine or arrest, with no fines collected in five years.
A juror survey found 87% of participants were happy with their experience.

Summary

Goldsmith Jury Reform

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith opened a 2024 consultation to reform system and cut delays.
Proposals would raise crime threshold for jury trials and let defendants select a jury later.
Jury trials increased from 2,000 in 2018 to 3,400 in 2023.
Average case length grew from 349 days to 498 days, driven by expanding digital evidence.
No legislative decision has been taken yet, with juror fees unchanged since 2004.

History

Historical Context

The United Kingdom’s Juries Act 1974 codified compulsory service, replacing earlier manual summons that in 1874 left about one-third of Irish jurors absent. That framework gave the Ministry of Justice, then led by Lord Chancellor Lord Hailsham, tools to enforce attendance. New Zealand’s Justice Ministry now faces a 31.5 % non-response rate, prompting reforms modeled on the UK’s historic compliance drive.

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NZ Jury Non-Response

New Zealand recorded a 31.5% non-response rate to jury summons in 2025, the highest in five years.
The Ministry of Justice sends summons to 200,000 people each year and allows deferral for up to 12 months.
Under the Juries Act 1981, non-attendance can incur a $1,000 fine or arrest, with no fines collected in five years.
A juror survey found 87% of participants were happy with their experience.

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