Christchurch jury trials heading for Timaru

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Christchurch jury trials are set to be transferred to the Timaru Court House while the city struggles back into operation after the February 22 earthquake.

Court staff are aiming to get the trials under way in Timaru from April 4.

The Christchurch District Court is running temporary court sessions daily at the Rangiora Court House for new arrests, and at Christchurch Men's Prison for people remanded in custody.

But the city's Court House remains inside the cordon's red zone in central Christchurch and there may be some delay until courts are regularly sitting there again.

Jury trials are unlikely to be able to resume in Christchurch in the meantime because special facilities including jury rooms are required and the jury court rooms are all up in the court house tower block.

Judge Gary MacAskill told lawyers at the prison sitting this morning the plan was to get trials under way in Timaru, and crown prosecutor Kathy Basire said the Crown was looking for less complicated trial files - ones involving fewer witnesses - that could be easily transferred.

The issue arose when a prisoner came before the court who was due for a jury trial in Christchurch next week. Judge MacAskill said the man's trial could now be delayed for two months or more and his remand in custody was being reconsidered.

More cases were now being sent from the prison to Rangiora so that they can be held in open court, in public, rather than inside the prison.

- NZPA