The issues highlighted in a rapid review of the Ministry of Justice released today are a damming indictment of the coalition Government's cuts to public services, the PSA says.
Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Duane Leo said a clear, repeated theme in the review was that a lack of Government funding and reducing staff numbers in the face of rising workloads was impacting on the Ministry's work.
"This review paints a damning picture of the true effects of the Government's indiscriminate cuts to essential public services. It is a clear wake up call to the Government that the reckless cutting of funding jobs and funding is harming a Ministry that plays a key role in the justice system that keeps New Zealanders safe.
"The review says the growth and complexity of court and tribunal cases is growing at a time when 'workforce constraints are real and the tight fiscal environment has taken a toll'," Leo said.
"The review illustrates the inadequacy of the Government's mantra of do more with less. It says the clearest example of how the operational capability of the Ministry is under 'significant and sustained' pressure is in the District Courts. Judges and Court staff have focused on working harder and improving efficiency," Leo said.
"Both are now beyond what can be tolerated or sustained. There is a real issue with both staff and judicial welfare," the review said.
The reviews identification of inadequate resourcing is echoed by PSA members working in the Ministry in their submission to the review panel.
"Headcount reductions though change management, attrition and vacancy lag and non-replacement have increased workloads," the members' submission to the review panel said.
The submission said a March 2026 PSA survey found 63% of respondents working at the Ministry thought it was not adequately staffed, against 17% who believed it was.
The submission said members described "increasing workloads, burnout and extended hours" across operational and corporate parts of the Ministry.
"These pressures affect wellbeing, retention, service quality, and organisational resilience," the submission said.
"It couldn't be clearer. This review shows how badly flawed has been the Government's management of public services over the past three years. The only question is how many workers in other Government agencies are also labouring under similar burdens, and how this is impacting on the vital public services New Zealander rely on.
"That's why the PSA is calling for a public good test to be applied to all cuts to public services," Leo said.
