July 27, 2020
New report on Family Court reveals legacy of injustice
New report on New Zealand Family Court reveals Legacy of injustice
A newly released report on the New Zealand Family Court has highlighted the discrimination and bias experienced by Maori in the court system. Te Taniwha – Te Ao Ture a Whanau – Whanau Experience of Care and Protection in the Family Court is the result of a twelve-month study undertaken by researcher Dr Amohia Boulton, and lawyer Tania Williams Blyth. The study asked Maori families to talk about their experiences of being in the Family Court. While numerous reports have confirmed that the child welfare system is broken, this is the first to focus on the significant role played by the Family Court.
Iwi Chairs are welcoming the report as a “missing piece in the puzzle” in the care and protection continuum.
National Iwi Chairs Forum, Pou Tangata Co-chairs, Rahui Papa and Dame Naida Glavish said, “the report highlights that the Family Court system is yet another Crown institution, charged with protecting tamariki Māori that requires fixing. We know from our own report published at the start of the year that Oranga Tamariki is broken, now we have evidence that the Family Court system is also broken”.
Change requires humanity and innovation. Recommendations are made that place tamariki and whānau at the centre of decision-making.
The National Iwi Chairs Forum welcome the findings in the Te Taniwha report. It is in the interests of Māori and indeed all New Zealanders that we stem the tide of Māori disadvantage beginning with our tamariki.
ENDS
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