The Courts Minister's pleased to see a drop in the backlog of some criminal court cases

New Government stats show the District Court backlog is down 20-percent since April 2023 - equating to about 17-hundred cases.

Minister Nicole McKee says it's great to see the tide turning after five years growth.

She says the improvements are down to a number of initiatives under the District Court Timely Justice Programme.

McKee says the initiatives' aims include priority-based rostering and scheduling, resourcing courts with the largest backlogs.

She says it also reduces unnecessary adjournments and helps provide meaningful first appearance outcomes.