$28m for judiciary travel costs

New Zealand’s judges and other judicial officers have spent more than $28 million on domestic travel over the past five years, according to data released by the Ministry of Justice.

A further $1m-plus has been spent on international travel, and $1.5m spent on judge’s spouses or partners travelling with them overseas.

The figures released to Stuff under the Official Information Act show the cost of sending our judiciary across the country, and around the world, since the 2013/2014 financial year.

The data reflects a large number of people including judges from the Supreme, High and District Courts along with other judicial officers such as dispute referees and adjudicators.

Stuff also requested which particular judges had been granted funding for international travel, where they visited and if their spouse travelled with them – but the Ministry of Justice said it did not hold that information.

The cost of international flights for judges and judicial officers was $970,118 while $422,200 was spent on accommodation and other costs during the five-year period.

‘‘Judicial officers are required to travel domestically for hearings and educational purposes,’’ a ministry official said. ‘‘They travel internationally for educational purposes. International travel is needed to maintain contact with judiciary in other jurisdictions and to represent New Zealand internationally.’’

The cost of domestic travel was noticeably higher than international travel. Since 2013, just over $8m has been spent on domestic flights, and nearly $10m on accommodation costs.

The total of domestic travel costs – just over $28m – is made up of a range of expenses including mileage, taxi costs, car rentals and flights and accommodation.

A retired judge, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said while the numbers seemed high judges were not travelling in the lap of luxury. ‘‘It is the opposite, you stay in a very modest hotel – you get an allowance for food, and you have to work within that. There is no fat in it.’’

While there had been a rise in the use of audio-visual links within courts, it was still important for a judge to be physically present at a trial. ‘‘I don’t think you can do a trial remotely. Judges do work with AVL when it is a straight-forward argument, where you have just got two lawyers in a room arguing over something which does not require witnesses.’’

International travel for judges was rare, the retired judge said, but some did go overseas for further training or conferences.

While the cost of domestic travel was high, the retired judge said it was the best way of conducting court business. ‘‘The idea is a very important one, one all judges accept – it is important people in the provinces see justice being done in their own area.’’