June 20, 2016
Youth justice age change would benefit Maori
The chair of justice reform lobby group Just Speak says the overhaul of Child Youth and Family means it’s a good time to also raise the age at which offenders enter the adult justice system from 17 to 18.
Just Speak is part of a coalition of 20 community and Maori organisations which have come together to push for the change.
Julia Whaipooti says as part of the CYFS overhaul the Government has agreed vulnerable children will remain in care until they are at least 18, and Cabnet is now considering whether to raise the youth justice age to match.
"We hope National does do this because it will have an immediate impact and it is one of the most tangible changes we can make in our criminal justice system that will immediately address the number of Maori we have going through our system," she says.
Ms Whaipooti says the Youth Court is not a soft option, and it has the tools and the flexibility to understand young people make mistakes, but they can be set on the right track.
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