The Whangārei community is set to benefit when on Wednesday its District Court launches a new approach to how it handles alleged offenders aged 18 to 25 years.

First piloted in Porirua in 2020 and now operating there and in Gisborne and Hamilton, the Young Adult List is heading to Whangārei as part of the District Court’s Te Ao Mārama – Enhancing Justice for All programme.

The Young Adult List takes its lead from the Youth Court division of the District Court, which has long recognised the specific challenges the justice system presents for children aged 12 to 13 years and young people aged 14 to 17 years.

“Young and often neuro-diverse young people don’t just mature overnight when they turn 18, which is why the Young Adult List was established along similar principles to the Youth Court and is now being expanded under Te Ao Mārama,” says Judge Greg Davis (pictured), executive judge at Whangārei District Court, its Youth Court judge and co-lead of the new Young Adult List alongside Judge Gene Tomlinson.

The Young Adult List emphasises the importance of solution-focused judging, which means identifying the root causes of a young adult’s offending and connecting them to interventions to address those causes so they are less likely to reoffend.

The list creates an environment that lessens formalities and legalese and supports young adults to meaningfully participate in and understand each stage of the court process.

The Young Adult List at Whangārei District Court will focus in the first instance on driving-related cases where there is no identifiable victim.

This is because a young adult’s involvement with the District Court can often begin with driving-related offences. Targeted interventions provide a good opportunity to prevent further, longer-term contact with the justice system.

It is hoped the Young Adult List may expand to Kaitāia District Court and Kaikohe District Court in the near future.

In agreeing the initial focus on driving-related cases where there is no identifiable victim, and in refining the list’s operating model, judges and court staff consulted and collaborated widely, taking account of factors such as the likely volume of cases, availability of support services and justice sector partner resources.

Whangārei District Court is one of eight locations fully funded to implement Te Ao Mārama. Kaitāia District Court and Kaikohe District Court are also among the locations.

The Ministry of Justice recently released a video(external link) to improve understanding of the Young Adult List.

The video includes 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.

You can read more about Te Ao Mārama here.