The Law Commission is proposing a shake-up of the courts system - the first overhaul in more than 100 years.



The Government's legal think-tank is today releasing a paper on how New Zealand's courts are run.



And it is asking the public how they think judges should be appointed. Critics have argued the process is not transparent and is biased towards men.



Another proposal would see high court judges placed on specialist panels for areas of law requiring particular expertise, such as commercial work. A similar system operates in New South Wales and Victoria.



Vexatious litigants - those who repeatedly bring legal proceedings that have no merit - could see their access to the courts reduced, or face cost orders.



The commission is also examining the right to a civil jury trial in the High Court. Civil jury trials are rare, and one suggestion is to limit them to defamation cases.



Last year, former justice minister Simon Power was forced to wind back plans to restrict jury trials in criminal cases after an outcry from lawyers and opposition MPs.



President of the Commission Sir Grant Hammond said the aim of the review is to consolidate legislation relating to trials and courts into one new Courts Bill and remove inefficiency.



The Judicature Act came into force in 1908 and has been amended many time over the last century and other legislation passed alongside it.



"As a result, the statutes relating to our courts have a distinctly patchwork quilt appearance, and there are gaps and overlaps in the legislation," Sir Grant said.

"People may have grave difficulty appreciating the picture as a whole, and even lawyers routinely have difficulty with some aspects of the relationships between various courts and jurisdictions. "



Since it took office in 2008, National has set in train major reform of the justice sector.

The Criminal Procedure Act 2011 is the most significant revamp of how criminal procedure is managed in the courts in more than 50 years - with the aim of cutting costs and making the system easier on victims.



A prosecution review has taken stock of how different government agencies brought prosecutions. Controversial legal aid reform has slashed costs, expanded the Public Defender Service and tightened eligibility.

A review of the Family Court is designed to drive efficiency, save money and improve services for children and the vulnerable.



The Law Commission is now asking for public submissions on its paper - Review of the Judicature Act 1908 - towards a consolidated Courts Act.



The proposals:



* Unifying the 63 district courts into one national district court



* Specialist panels for High Court judges



* More transparency and formality in the appointment of judges



* A graduated system for dealing with vexatious litigants and wasted costs orders in the civil sector



* Limiting the right to a civil jury trial in the High Court