JustSpeak calls for the development and funding of a fully independent community-led investigative body to manage justice sector complaints, in response to a shocking new report by the independent watchdog Aotearoa Justice Watch which details numerous allegations of mistreatment by police and prison officers.

This is one of a number of recommendations proposed by JustSpeak, which range from calling on the government to reinstate and/or introduce Treaty principles clauses into all justice related legislation, to urging Corrections to ensure staff members are not able to autonomously turn off or delete recordings from body worn cameras at will.

The Aotearoa Justice Watch report, released on Monday, draws on 62 submissions made between June 2022 and March 2024. It includes numerous testimonies of abuse and discrimination within New Zealand’s criminal justice system. These allegations have not been verified, however they closely align with issues uncovered by other groups such as the Ombudsman and the Office of the Inspectorate.

Some of the key findings in relation to Corrections include issues relating to individual staff members and their behaviour, including sexual violence and use of force, complaints around conditions of confinement, and issues with the internal complaints system. Key findings in relation to the Police include experiences of harassment, intimidation, racism and coercion, and violence and excessive use of force.

JustSpeak Executive Director Lisa Silipa says, “it is clear that a fully independent investigative body is needed. AJW is about empowering people to share their stories safely, and this report highlights the many shortcomings in current official complaints processes. Any changes in policing and prisons must be informed by the people most affected by these institutions.”

JustSpeak is one of the four organisations that make up Aotearoa Justice Watch, along with Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties, and People Against Prisons Aotearoa. They formed the independent watchdog in 2022 to provide people with lived experience of prisons and policing an opportunity to share their stories. Submissions are made anonymously via the AJW website.

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