Arbuckle JamieJAMIE ARBUCKLE (NZ First): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to speak on the Courts (Remote Participation) Amendment Bill. New Zealand First like all other parties in the House supports this bill. It is common sense and a bill that has been traversed through the Justice Committee. I am a member of that committee and the support for that through submissions—it was well supported with some minor concerns that were raised that I will touch on as I go through this speech.The bill represents a targeted yet critical step towards modernising our court system and increasing access to justice in New Zealand. The court system faces significant delays and those significant delays we know are something that we want to speed up in the court system particularly in criminal and family jurisdictions within the District Court. These delays affect all participants in the justice system especially victims. If we think about the victims if we can make the court system move quicker and more efficiently it is better for our victims getting a result through the courts.New Zealand First is a champion of the victims in our justice system and we are willing to do whatever we can to help put them first. By expanding remote participation this bill addresses several challenges by making the court process more efficient accessible and safer for all that are involved. We strongly support the victim-centred approach of this bill.The first amendment that the chair of the Justice Committee has just outlined is the amendment that creates a presumption that victims can observe criminal trials and sentencings remotely. This is a vital step in supporting victims' rights offering them more control over how they participate in the justice process. Victims who wish to observe proceedings remotely can do so when suitable technology is available while preserving judicial discretion to ensure the integrity of the court process. For many people this will reduce stress travel costs—as we know travelling to courts across the country is not cheap—and it's also around safety risks for victims.The second amendment allows for the use of audio links such as teleconferences for remote proceedings in certain circumstances. This flexibility is essential for participants who may have to access audiovisual technology. Importantly in criminal cases defendants will still be required to appear and I think that is really important to stress. There is the ability for judicial discretion over when this technology is used but there are the cases where defendants will need to still appear to ensure fairness while in civil matters remote participation will be allowed only if all parties can effectively participate.The third amendment clarifies the relationship between remote participation and open justice ensuring that the courts remain transparent even when proceedings are conducted remotely. This amendment makes permanent a temporary change enacted during the pandemic enforcing the principle that justice must be seen to be done.New Zealand First supports this bill as it balances innovation with the need to protect the rights and interests of all participants in the justice system. The bill brings our courts into the modern era making them more accessible efficient and fairer for everyone. By enabling more remote participation we are not only improving court performance but also upholding the fundamental principles of justice and fairness that define the New Zealand legal system. On that basis I commend this bill to the House.