New Zealand rolls out community-focused model in mainstream courts News
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New Zealand rolls out community-focused model in mainstream courts

New Zealand is rolling out a community-focused justice model in its District Courts, one of four major courts in the mainstream hierarchy, according to a statement from the Chief District Court Judge Heemi Taumaunu published Sunday.

The model is known as the Te Ao Mārama model, meaning “the enlightened world.” The model “signals a deliberate intention on the part of the District Court to move ‘towards a more enlightened world’ for the benefit of all people of all ethnicities and cultures who are affected by the business of our court.” A key change is that it seeks to better honor the principle of partnership enshrined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) by infusing tikanga Māori and te reo Māori into the mainstream court system, a product of colonization imported from Britain.

In addition, the model will draw upon “best practice lessons established in specialist courts.” Principally, these best practices include using plain language, reducing formalities, bolstering community input, making information more available, addressing the root causes of offending, coordinating with agencies throughout the justice sector, and judges becoming more active in the court process.

Adoption of the model will have no effect on the legal framework for delivering justice. The Sentencing Act 2002 will be applied as it always has been. The difference the model brings is that decisions will “occur in an environment where more well-informed decisions can be consistently made, based on better information, with better informed participants, and better understood processes.”

The rollout began in late 2020 when the Hamilton District Court became the first to adopt the Te Ao Mārama model. It is due to implement the model later this year. Sunday’s announcement shared that the Gisborne District Court will adopt it next. Taumaunu noted the model will look slightly different between the District Courts which have adopted it. This provides for “accurately reflect[ing] the different strengths of local iwi and local communities in each District Court location.”

The model is intended to be adopted by all 59 District Courts in the country.

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