A new video about the Young Adult List court, established in the District Court to meet the unique needs of 18- to 25-year-olds, aims to improve understanding of the court.

You can view the video here(external link) and it is also available in the Te Ao Mārama – Enhancing Justice for All resources and updates section of this website.

Former Principal Youth Court Judge Acting Warranted Judge John Walker says the Young Adult List is a critical part of Te Ao Mārama and “accords with the principle that those who come to court are seen, heard and understood”.

He first proposed the list in 2019 and it was piloted in Porirua District Court from March 2020.

One of its key objectives is to support young adults to meaningfully participate in and understand each stage of the court process by considering their unique needs and vulnerabilities. The list also helps connect young adults to interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of their offending so they are less likely to offend in the future.

All eight court locations fully funded for Te Ao Mārama are being supported to introduce the Young Adult List, unless they already have one or the Chief agrees otherwise.

On 21 August 2024, Whangārei District Court will introduce a Young Adult List court focused initially on driving-related offences where there is no identifiable victim. The Young Adult List is also a judicial priority in Kaitāia and Kaikohe, with implementation likely to be in early 2025.

Te Ao Mārama Senior Responsible Owner Renee Smith says the video showcases to those working in potential new locations the positive impact the list can have on court participants.

“The video weaves in experiences, stories and perspectives from three District Court judges, court staff, the mother of a young adult court participant, a victim advisor, a lawyer and a police prosecutor,” she says.

Porirua District Court’s Judge James Johnston says in the video that the list “gives hope to all of us that it is a court system that can deal with the offending in a way that hopefully we don’t get people coming back time and time again”.