Justice Minister Simon Power says legislation passed by Parliament on Tuesday night will speed up and modernise the criminal justice system.
Changes in the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill include requiring cases to be progressed as far as possible before they reach a judge.
The threshold for trial by jury is also raised, from crimes with a penalty of more than three months in prison, to those carrying a penalty of two years or more.
The Green Party says that provision meant it could not support the bill, because the right to a jury trial should be available for many of the crimes that fall within that bracket.
The bill passed by 110 votes to 10 with the Greens and the Mana Party voting against it.
