Te Au Reka is a new digital case management system that will help to transform the administration of justice in New Zealand. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary, respecting our joint and separate responsibilities.
Te Au Reka will make a profound difference to all those who access and participate in our courts and tribunals, by establishing trusted, modern, and responsive digital case and court management capability. It will move courts and tribunals away from manually intensive, paper-based processes to a modern and proactive digital case management system. This will reduce the potential for harm, improve the effectiveness of the court, and support access to justice.
We will implement Te Au Reka in three phases, starting with the Family Court.
Te Au Reka is a phrase used in a Tairāwhiti karakia (Māori prayer) for opening a new meeting house. Te Au translates as ‘current’ or ‘flow’, and Reka translates as ‘sweet, palatable and pleasant.’ Te Au Reka means the sweet flow.
Te Au Reka conjures an image of a case management system that enables court processes to flow seamlessly from beginning to end.
Te Au Reka stands at the doorway of a modern court and tribunal system that is trusted, safe and responds to the needs of its users. It will positively impact the wellbeing of all those who interact with the court, making it easier to engage with the court and know what is happening.
In March 2023, the Chief Justice launched the Digital Strategy for the Courts and Tribunals of Aotearoa New Zealand.(external link) The Digital Strategy sets out the judiciary’s objectives and guiding principles for use of technology in courts. Te Au Reka was identified as one of the four priority initiatives for the judiciary, to ‘address the most acute justice infrastructure needs’ of New Zealand’s courts and tribunals.
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