New Zealand

Provides a listing of articles on restorative justice developments in New Zealand. Articles appear in the order in which they were added to the site with the most recent appearing first.

Restorative justice gets boost with new spending

from the article on Radio New Zealand News: The Government is to spend more on restorative justice conferences: $4 million of new spending over two years has been earmarked in the Budget. The Government at present funds about 2000 restorative justice conferences each year at a cost of about $2.1 million.

Rape victim 're-victimised' by system

from the article by Joelle Dally for The Press: It took Helena Watson more than three decades to speak out about her father's sexual abuse. Now the Christchurch woman says she has been revictimised by restorative justice.

Restorative justice?

from the post by Virago on KiwiBiker forum: This makes for some interesting reading: http://aranakenny.blogspot.co.nz/ It's worthwhile clicking through some of the links to get all the details, but in a nutshell: A Victoria University employee, doing caretaking and security work, steals a student's cellphone while working. Seven months later, the victim tracks the phone down using smart-phone technology, and hands the evidence to the police. The culprit is arrested and charged, and he admits the theft.

Merciful Jews forgive Nazi grave vandal

from the article by Tony Wall for stuff.co.nz: The Jewish community has taken pity on one of the youths who desecrated graves at a cemetery in Auckland with Nazi symbols - causing worldwide outrage - and is even offering to pay his university tuition fees so he can turn his life around. Robert Moulden, 19, pleaded guilty to a charge of intentional damage in the Auckland District Court last year and will be sentenced next month. His co-accused, Christian Landmark, 20, has pleaded not guilty and appears in court again on Tuesday. More than a dozen headstones in the Jewish quarter of the Symonds St Cemetery were vandalised with images of swastikas and expletive-ridden anti-Israeli messages on October 19. It is proving incredibly difficult to remove paint from the porous headstones, which date back to the 19th century, and the repair job could cost as much as $50,000.

Restorative justice: Victims, violators and community -- the path to acceptance

from the paper presented by Kim Workman at the International Conference and Workshops on REstorative Justice, Human Rights and Peace Education: ....As Toki explains, “for Māori a form of utu, or reciprocity to restore the balance, is always necessary. Although both punishment and utu involve a deliberate response to an offence and aim to achieve retribution, they differ in important aspects. Ethically speaking, punishment can be forgone, but utu cannot; punishment should be unpleasant enough to deter, but utu may be entirely friendly and welcome; punishment should be confined to offenders who have been proven guilty of intentional offences, but utu may be exacted from individuals who have done no wrong. This different conceptual thinking cannot be accommodated in the existing criminal justice system.

Victims of Crime Reform Bill to increase RJ referrals

from the article by John Delaney on Restorative Justice Trust: The Victims of Crime Reform Bill will soon return for its second reading in the House. The Bill introduces a package of measures that are aimed at strengthening existing legislation to better provide for the needs of victims of crime. Of significance for restorative justice providers is the proposal to increase the number of cases referred to restorative justice. This is in recognition of the domestic and international research showing extremely high levels of satisfaction amongst victims who go through the RJ process.

Restorative city push picks up pace

from the article by Anne-Marie Emerson in the Wanganui Chronicle: "The restorative city idea grew out of the very successful Whanganui Restorative Justice service operated by the same trustees for the last 12 years. That service allows restoration to occur by bringing offender, victim and their families together to address what has happened in a way that meets everyone's needs, especially the victim."

How to reconcile stoning a parrot

from the entry by LaraKim on lafeberconservationwildlife.com: This past week, a boy on a field trip with his school picked up a rock and threw it at a kea, an endangered parrot in New Zealand. The bird died. The reports indicate that there was no premeditated maliciousness in the boy as the act was a spontaneous one not uncommon in the young.

Great story - The Power in the word "Sorry"

 This is a great story about Restorative Justice. I don't like the old adage of, "It's no use crying over spilt milk." because it denies [...]

Rena captain and officer sent to jail

from the article by Matt Bowne and Paloma Migone in the Marlborough Express: ....The men responsible for causing New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster by grounding the Rena off Tauranga's coast have been sentenced to seven months in jail. ...."There was substantial ecological damage to marine wildlife and seabirds, the food resources of the indigenous people who reside on the coast, the incomes of those whose living is made from the sea ... and an entire community was sent into shock."

Treaty settlements process: Restorative justice in action

from the article on Te Puni Kokiri: The Treaty of Waitangi settlements process is restorative justice in action says Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples. Speaking at the launch of JustSpeak’s paper on Māori and the Criminal Justice System, he recalled the recent settlement of five Treaty of Waitangi claims.

Rena captain to residents: 'Sorry'

from the article by Kiri Gillespie in the Bay of Plenty Times: Rena's captain and navigational officer have visited Motiti Island to apologise to residents for grounding the cargo ship on Astrolabe Reef. When Rena grounded on October 5 last year, Motiti Island was transformed from a pristine green paradise to an oil-soaked mess. Residents were shocked, saddened and angry.

Select committee urged to avoid courtroom 'Oprahfication'

from the article on Voxy.co.nz: Rethinking Crime and Punishment agrees that victims should be able to provide information to the court about the effects of offending; and the harm they have suffered. However, it does not believe that the presentation of a victim impact statement in the Court, was the best way to achieve it.

Stalking accused trying to abuse system

from Ian Steward's article on Stuff.co.nz: A man described by police as "New Zealand's most dangerous stalker" has requested a restorative justice session with his latest alleged victim, though a judge has rejected it as a transparent attempt to "keep in touch".

Twenty years of restorative justice in New Zealand

from the article by Fred W.M. McElrea in Tikkun: As I look back over the last twenty years, the following aspects of the family group conference system stand out as being both innovative and of potential value to adult systems as well:

Badlands or fairyland? How to misuse statistics and confuse the public

from Rethining Crime and Punishment's new newsletter Truth in Justice: If Truth in Justice were to have an annual award in 12 months time for the most inaccurate, misleading and appalling publication on crime and punishment, it is unlikely that anything would surpass Badlands: NZ - A Land Fit for Criminals by David Fraser and published by Ian Wishart. While we were reluctant to give it any more publicity, the book is a self-contained case study of what can happen when someone with a set ideological agenda sets out to prove their position through false logic and the misuse of statistics. It almost qualifies as a serious hazard to public safety. We asked three people to review the book. Each has approached it from a different perspective.

Doing justice honourably

From Janet Sim Elder's post on Per Crucem ad Lucem: A crucial question in this election year is how do we do justice honourably with both victims and offenders? How can recidivism continue downwards and how do public attitudes change to being solidly evidence-based? How do we face the challenge of changing the justice landscape? Can we provide the moral courage to help our society take steps towards a more just and merciful society?

New Zealand: Rethinking contributes to Circles of Support and Accountability

from the newsletter of Rethinking Crime and Punishment: Developed by a Mennonite community in Canada in the 1990's, COSA are groups of volunteers from the community into which the offender is released. They meet with a sex offender regularly, provide support for their reintegration and at the same time, hold them accountable for their actions. The volunteers receive extensive training and are fully informed of the offender's history, patterns of offending and the thoughts and behaviours that are likely to signal regression. The Circles begin working with the offender before they are released and are headed by a Circle Coordinator who is connected to other relevant agencies and professionals (e.g. probations, the police and clinicians) calling upon their support and advice as required.

Victim Impact Statements

Analogous to the demonization of an offender in the public mind, is the pathologization of the victim in the public mind. The pathologization of the [...]

Victim impact statements: Some concerns about current practice and proposed changes

from the article by Chris Marshall in Rethinking Crime and Punishment: Currently victims have the right to submit a VIS in a variety of ways, though it is usually in writing, and to request the opportunity to present the statement in open court. The judge has the discretion to deny this request and to edit the statement if there are concerns about its length or content. Under the new proposal, victims will have the right to use their own words in the VIS and “to address the offender so that the offender may better perceive the impact of the offence on the victim”. For serious offences (s.29 of the Victims Rights Act), victims will have an automatic right to present their VIS in court, though the judge retains the right to manage the process.