GEORGINA BEYER (Labour-Wairarapa): What a pleasure it is to speak on the first reading of the Judicature Amendment Bill (No 3). This bill is designed to reduce the workload pressures facing the Court of Appeal and to increase access to the Supreme Court. Amongst other things, it will ensure that better use is made of judges’ time. The number of Court of Appeal judges will be increased. Some flexibility will be introduced into the way in which Court of Appeal judgments can be delivered. The relevant provisions in the Judicature Act are currently interpreted by the courts as requiring judgments to be delivered by any two judges of the Court of Appeal in an open court. This requirement takes up the valuable time of judges, especially when a judgment is delivered to an empty courtroom. Currently, both the Supreme Court and the High Court are able to deliver their judgments in an open court or through the registrar. The Court of Appeal does not have that flexibility. So this bill will bring the practice in the Court of Appeal into line with the practice in the Supreme Court and the High Court.