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[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
18 February 2021
John Finnegan
[FYI request #14417 email]
Tēnā koe Mr Finnegan
Official Information Act 1982 request
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 7 January 2021 to the Ministry of
Justice (the Ministry) requesting information regarding Disputes Tribunal hearings. I am responding
as Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery. Specifically, you requested the
following information:
1) Total number of hearings lodged at disputes tribunals.
2) Out of the total no how many were applied to be reheard.
3) Out of the total no how many were appealed against the initial decision made in the hearing.
4) Out of those who applied for a rehearing how many got through to a rehearing, how many of
them didn’t get reheard, of those who didn’t get reheard how many appealed against the decision to
be reheard. Also, number of successful appeals for each of these questions.
Could you also provide in the answers to questions 2 to 4 answers not only as numbers but has a
percentage.
On 18 January 2021, the Ministry sought to clarify your request, and you confirmed that you would
like information on the number of new claims heard for the first part of your request and you are
seeking information for the last 5 years for comparison.
In response to the first part of your request, please refer to Table 1. Table 1 provides information on
the number of Disputes Tribunal claim applications heard each month, 2016-2020.
In response to the second part of the request, please refer to Table 2. Table 2 provides information
on the number of Disputes Tribunal rehearing applications with an outcome by outcome type, 2016-
2020.
In response to the third part of your request, please refer to Table 3. Table 3 provides information
on the number of Disputes Tribunal appeal applications with an outcome by outcome type, 2016-
2020.
In response to the fourth part of your request, the Ministry does not hold the information you have
requested. While the OIA enables people to request official information from Ministers and
agencies, this only applies to information already held. The Ministry is not required to create
information for the purposes of responding to a request. A response to your request would require
the creation of a new report. Therefore, I am refusing your request under section 18(g) of the OIA.
If you require any clarification of the information contained in this response please contact Alison
Horwood, Media Manager, Media and External Relations, by calling (04) 918 8836; or emailing
[email address]
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman under
section 28(3) of the OIA. You can contact the Office of the Ombudsman by writing to PO Box 10152,
Wellington 6143; calling 0800 802 602; or emailing [email address].
I trust that this information assists.
Nāku noa, nā
pp
Richard Williams
Group Manager (Acting), Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery
Ref:
85210
Encl:
Table 1: Number of Disputes Tribunal claim applications heard each month, 2016-2020
Table 2: Number of Disputes Tribunal rehearing applications with an outcome, by outcome
type, 2016-2020
Table 3: Number of Disputes Tribunal appeal applications with an outcome, by outcome
type, 2016-2020
Table 1: Number of Disputes Tribunal claim applications heard each year, 2016-2020
Year
Heard
applications
2016
10,538
2017
10,827
2018
9,741
2019
9,454
2020
8,211
Notes:
• This data counts the number of Disputes Tribunal claim applications heard.
• This data includes new claims and claims reactivated for a re-hearing following either a rehearing
application or an appeal.
• The year is as at the application outcome date.
• Example interpretation: In January 2016 there were 624 new Disputes Tribunal claim applications
which were heard.
Table 2: Number of Disputes Tribunal rehearing applications with an outcome by outcome type,
2016-2020
Outcome
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
type
Granted
558
544
466
509
405
Other
515
523
470
495
434
Notes:
• This data counts the number of rehearing applications with outcomes.
• This only includes rehearing applications linked to cases which also had a Disputes Tribunal claim
application.
• The year is as at the rehearing application outcome date.
• The outcome types of an application for rehearing included in this data have been grouped into:
'Granted' and 'Other' (abandoned, dismissed, refused, struck out, or withdrawn)
• Example interpretation: In 2016 there were 558 rehearing applications granted.
Table 3: Number of Disputes Tribunal Appeal applications with an outcome by outcome type,
2016-2020
Outcome
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
type
Allowed
23
14
17
10
10
Other
113
127
141
100
115
Notes:
• This data counts the number of Disputes Tribunal appeal applications with outcomes.
• The year is as at the appeal application outcome date.
• The outcome types of an application for appeal included in this data have been grouped into:
o 'Allowed' (allowed and allowed in part) and 'Other' (abandoned, decision reserved,
dismissed, struck out, or withdrawn)
• Example interpretation: In 2016 there were 23 DT appeal applications with an 'Allowed' outcome.
