Iwi court process wins support of Courts Minister Nicole McKee

Courts Minister Nicole McKee is looking at programmes run within the courts, including those involving Māori.

Courts Minister Nicole McKee says she’s taking an outcomes-driven approach to programmes run within the courts, including those adding a Māori dimension to the process.

McKee said there was a standard review process for all programmes, including rangatahi courts and the Te Ao Mārama programme to partner courts with iwi and communities to reduce reoffending and the disproportionate number of Māori in the justice system.

She has attended rangatahi court hearings on marae and been impressed with what she saw.

“I’ve sat down with the chief district court judge and said to him I’m really in favour of the Te Ao Mārama framework. I think it looks pretty good, especially in certain areas where we have a lot of rural activity and a lot of criminal activity in the rural or provincial areas,” McKee said.

She said that if programmes such as Te Ao Mārama or Te Pae Oranga were working, why would you look at other options.

“We are looking at everything in the system, and if these things are working, we have to keep them in there,” she told Radio Waatea host Dale Husband.

“There’s a lot of pilots being run as well. Some of them are up for review.”

McKee said the reviews look at whether programmes stop recidivism and are cost-effective and fit for purpose.

Waatea.News.Com