Some people think that Hawaii's trial courts are resolving disputes effectively and efficiently, and others think there is plenty of room for improvement. The Judiciary has mediation or alternative dispute resolution programs at every court level. Some people think the Judiciary should offer additional forms of dispute resolution, and others think the Judiciary already offers too many. The Judiciary provides certain social services, including substance abuse services, anger management services, sex offender treatment and assessment, detention homes, and probation counseling. Some people think the Judiciary should not be providing social services, and others think social services are an integral part of the overall adjudication process.
Different states use different methods of assigning judges to cases.
Some states use a single-tier system in which a single pool of judges can be assigned to areas of need without reference to jurisdictional boundaries between courts. Other states, including Hawai'i, use a multi-tier system in which judges are appointed or assigned to general or limited jurisdictional courts.