Criminal Justice Advisory Group to visit Northland
1 November 2018

The Government’s Safe and Effective Justice Programme Advisory Group – Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora – will visit Northland on November 5 and 6 as part of its nationwide consultation to gather information on the criminal justice system.
This is the fourth of 14 visits being held across New Zealand before Christmas to hear from people who have experienced the criminal justice system, as victims of crime or those who have committed crimes, and the groups who work in or with it every day.

The Advisory Group will hold a public drop-in clinic in Whangarei on Tuesday 6 November at Whangarei Central Library, 5 Rust Avenue, at 1.30pm-4pm.
They will also be travelling to Kaitaia and Kaikohe, on Monday 5 November, where they will hold discussions with community groups and others.

[Note to Editors: To protect the confidentiality of submitters who would feel uncomfortable sharing their stories publicly, these sessions will NOT be open to the news media. The Advisory Group will hold a briefing at the end of the visit – see note below].

The Group has been appointed to support the Hāpitia te Oranga Tangata Safe and Effective Justice Programme, which the Government has established to create a more effective criminal justice system, and a safer New Zealand.
The Group, which is independent of the Government, has been tasked with finding out what people want from the criminal justice system, and to canvas a range of ideas about how it can be improved.
It is made up of former Minister for Courts Chester Borrows, who is the Chair, and nine others who have experience working in or alongside the justice system.
Members who will attend the Northland meetings are Professor Tracey McIntosh, Julia Whaipooti, Dr Jarrod Gilbert and Quentin Hix. Other members of the Group are Dr Carwyn Jones, Shila Nair, Ruth Money, Dr Warren Young, and Professor Tony Ward.
Mr Borrows says the Group’s work is about informing the Government’s drive to keep all New Zealand communities safer by enhancing the criminal justice system.
“This is a chance to make a big difference to our criminal justice system, and we’re all looking forward to hearing what New Zealanders want and expect from it.
“We had a great response at our meetings in South Auckland and Canterbury, and we’re excited about engaging independently with key stakeholders and those with lived-experience in Northland to form strategic recommendations for the Government.
“We want to hear from as many people as possible and, though we won’t be able to meet with them all, we encourage anyone who wants to have their say to submit their ideas to us on the Safe and Effective Justice website.
“We will consider all feedback, in whatever form, to help inform our findings to the Minister.”
The Group is planning to make further visits across the country early next year.

Public Submissions
Members of the public are also encouraged to submit their experiences and ideas to the Group at: https://www.safeandeffectivejustice.govt.nz/
Or contact them directly at te_uepu@justice.govt.nz

Ends

About members of the Justice Programme Advisory Group

Chester Borrows, QSO (Chair), is a former police officer, prosecutor, defence counsel and, between 2008 and 2017, held positions as Minister for Courts, Associate Minister for Justice, and Associate Minister for Social Development. He was responsible for writing the Youth Crime Action Plan.

Dr Jarrod Gilbert is a senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Canterbury and has completed extensive research in the areas of crime and justice. He is one of New Zealand’s leading authorities on gangs.

Quentin Hix runs a team of defence lawyers in Timaru. He is a director of Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation, one of the biggest investment companies in the South Island.

Dr Carwyn Jones is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Victoria University. His research and teaching is focused on legal issues affecting Māori and other indigenous peoples, and he has published widely on these topics.

Tracey McIntosh is a Professor of Indigenous Studies and Co-Head of Te Wānanga o Waipapa (School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies) at Auckland University. Her recent research has focused on incarceration (particularly of Māori and indigenous peoples), gang whānau issues, and poverty, inequality and social justice.

Ruth Money is a victims’ advocate, providing 24/7 support to survivors of serious crime. Since 2012, she has voluntarily supported victims and survivors through the many components of the justice system.

Shila Nair is the National Coordinator of Shakti, a community organisation specialising in women’s development, empowerment and domestic/ family violence intervention, prevention and awareness. She is in private practice as a counsellor, and has a master’s degree in Counselling.

Tony Ward is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Victoria University. He has been working in the clinical and forensic field since 1987, being a former Director of the Kia Marama Sexual Offenders' Unit at Rolleston Prison, and teaching clinical and forensic psychology at Victoria, Deakin, Canterbury, and Melbourne universities.

Julia Whaipooti is a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and is the spokesperson for JustSpeak. She is involved in the Community Law movement as National Māori Co-ordinator, lawyer and advocate. This year, she led a delegation of young Māori to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to call for criminal justice reform.

Dr Warren Young is General Manager of the Independent Police Conduct Authority. He was formerly Deputy President of the Law Commission, General Manager of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Group at the Ministry of Justice, and has been Professor of Law in criminal law and criminal justice, and Director of the Institute of Criminology at Victoria University.

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