Details of a major shake-up of court services around the country will be announced tomorrow, when court staff will learn if there will be any job losses.
The Justice Ministry was looking to modernise the way courts were run "through better use of technology, infrastructure and more efficient courtroom processes", deputy secretary of courts and tribunals Robert Pigou said yesterday.
He declined to answer questions, saying it was inappropriate to comment until after meetings with court staff throughout the country tomorrow.
Staff would be advised tomorrow morning "what this means for them".
In June, Courts Minister Chester Borrows announced new technology would be introduced to significantly reduce the court's reliance on paper.
"Our courts are old-fashioned, in that everything is still paper-based and requires manual handling to move it through the system," he said at the time.
New technology would allow judges to manage criminal cases electronically and mean charges could be processed up to 70% faster, saving the ministry and police about 93,000 hours a year.
The first stage of electronic filing and recording of judicial decisions in court would be in place by July 1 next year, he said.
Legal professionals in Oamaru said they hoped the changes to be announced tomorrow would not provide an excuse to scrap the town's courthouse.
The building, and the Balclutha courthouse, were closed last year because of earthquake risk.
Balclutha District Court sessions have since December been held in the Gore District Court while court proceedings in Oamaru were transferred to the Oamaru Opera House.
Oamaru lawyer Kelvin Campbell said although he was unaware of how close a final decision might be, he would like to see the building back in action.
"My preference would be for them to fix up the old courthouse and start hearings from there again, if it is economical."
Hope and Associates practice manager and Waitaki district councillor Sally Hope said if the courthouse facilities were not restored fully, it would affect both the legal profession and the public.
Mrs Hope said it was important Oamaru's courthouse facilities were not diminished in any way.
"It would make the whole process of accessing justice, or the facilities that the courthouse offers, more difficult for everybody. It becomes a more frustrating and more costly exercise."
Dunedin jury trials have been held in Invercargill since the Dunedin courthouse was partly closed in December. An engineer's report revealed the court's tower was only 15%-20% compliant with the building code's earthquake standards.
Last week, Mr Pigou announced a High St, Dunedin, building would be a temporary base for jury trials.
The buildings are among seven courthouses in the country closed because of seismic risk.
Mr Borrows said in August the high cost of strengthening the buildings meant "we need to invest carefully in the areas where there is the most need".
The ministry's focus was on returning permanent court services to Dunedin, Christchurch and Masterton.
Decisions on long-term solutions for the other courts were expected later this year, he said.
