The head of the Youth Court says New Zealand's youth justice system is under threat from simplistic calls for more toughness.
Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft told a seminar on youth issues at Auckland University on Friday that calls for tougher sentences, which had led to constant changes in the adult justice system in the past 20 years, had thankfully not touched youth justice.
He said the New Zealand youth justice system stacked up internationally, but it was under threat from calls for more toughness, The New Zealand Herald reported.
The United Nations has criticised New Zealand law changes that allow police to charge 12- and 13-year-olds in the Youth Court. The court had previously dealt with 14- 16-year-olds and the National government also cancelled plans to extend that up to 17-year-olds.
New Zealand tried to keep young offenders out of the justice system where they would meet other offenders, Judge Becroft said.
"Eighty per cent of the young offenders in New Zealand are not charged, they are dealt with by police diversion in the community. They do not come to court, which is the worst place for them," he said.
"There is no country in the world that matches that rate, and it works best. It's just good, firm, community-based creative intervention led by police and the community," he said.
The one-day symposium was co-sponsored by the Department of Sociology, University of Auckland and the National Centre for Life Course Research, University of Otago.
It also discussed how young people were coping with tough economic conditions.
Professor Alan France, head of the Department of Sociology at the university, said many young people in New Zealand were under significant pressure in their everyday lives.
NZN