A new courthouse to be built in Tauranga will do away with the "alienating and distressing environment" of traditional courthouses, says Justice Minister Andrew Little.
The Government has announced it'll spend $100 million on the new design, which will "draw on Te Ao Māori values, and directly address victims' safety needs in the court building".
"It's time to re-think the traditional courthouse design," Little said.
"For victims, being forced to share the same space with people who have hurt them can be incredibly confrontational. But they are there to see justice done, and to express the pain that they have experienced. We must make sure that the processes of justice do not compound that hurt."
He said people who find themselves in the Family Court "routinely ask for more family-friendly design and an environment that is more sensitive to the stress associated with family break-ups".
"This is an investment New Zealand must make to meet our commitment to put victims at the heart of the justice system."
He's confident it will, in time, result in "less offending, less reoffending, and fewer victims of crime".
The present courthouse in Tauranga, built in 1965, is leaky. Despite close to $1 million being spent on repairs in 2015, a trial last year reportedly had to be moved because there was water dripping onto the judge's bench.
The new courtroom isn't expected to open until 2025 however.
