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Almost four out of five cases at the country's High Courts now involve the drug P and a lawyer is calling for a law change to help lighten the load.
Currently all cases involving P have to be heard in the High Court because manufacturing or supplying it carries a life sentence. District Courts can only impose sentences to a maximum of 10 years.
Hamilton lawyer Bruce Hesketh says because most P-related offending is quite low-level, many cases could be dealt with in the lower court.
"If the amount is small by comparison to, say, some of the large dealers, it is not infrequent for them to get two to three years imprisonment. For that person to be sent back to the District Court would actually save a lot of time for the High Court."
Mr Hesketh says clearing the backlog will shorten the time it takes for High Court cases to get to trial
- NEWSTALK ZB
