Māori Party will overhaul the justice system and dis-establish the Independent Police Conduct Authority

The Māori Party will initiate a review into the entire justice system including the police and courts ensuring the system is aligned with tikanga Māori and will address institutional racism. The party will also establish an Anti-Corruption Commission and dis-establish the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell and list candidate Tame Iti launched the policy at a meeting of students in Wellington today.

“The review of the justice system is long overdue. We know there is institutionalised racism in the system that is resulting in more Māori and Pasifika peoples being apprehended, arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned and trialled than Pākehā. All the research and statistics indicate this to be so,” says Te Ururoa Flavell.

The Anti-Corruption Commission will absorb the investigative functions of the State Service Commission, Serious Fraud Office, Judicial Conduct Commissioner and Conduct Panel and the Parliamentary Privileges Select Committee and the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

“Our systems need streamlining to be more effective and responsive and we think that can better achieved in one organisation.”

The Māori Party says it will also push for a repeal of the three strikes legislation and the Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill.

“The controversial three-strikes legislation was meant for the very worst criminals and no matter what the circumstances, under the current law judges must impose the highest possible sentences that were set aside for serious crimes. There is a real injustice in that for those offenders at the lower end of the scale.”

“We will continue to develop our Whare Oranga Ake policy which supports prisoners for life outside because we need to be more rehabilitative in our approach to justice. We will also repeal the Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill – to give prisoners the opportunity to vote,” says list candidate Tame Iti.

“We need a more restorative process across our justice system which is whānau-based. We will be introducing Whānau Facilitators who will work closely with hapū and iwi and will be based within the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agencies to support families throughout the family court system,” says Mr Iti.

The party has a number of policies that will uphold the status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as our nation's founding document including an Oaths and Declarations (Upholding the Treaty of Waitangi) Amendment Bill to enable anyone taking any oath the option of stating they will uphold the Treaty of Waitangi.

“We plan to establish a new convention by which every cabinet paper, regulatory statement and bill must include a Treaty clause. We will also review the Office of Treaty Settlements and the Post Settlement Commitments unit to ensure they are meeting expectations of iwi and the Crown.”

“The Māori Party instigated a Constitutional Review and the report was released in 2013. We will now enact outcomes from that review to ensure it gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ” says Te Ururoa Flavell.

http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1409/Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_and_Justice_Policy__Maori_Party_2014.pdf

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