Playing catch-up? Recent reform of New Zealand’s youth justice system

Abstract

The New Zealand youth justice system emerged as a ‘new paradigm’ in the early 1990s. This model of reintegration, restorativeness, diversion and family empowerment has been highly influential worldwide. The New Zealand system has remained stable and non-punitive in the context of a volatile and punitive adult criminal justice system and the ‘punitive turn’ in the youth justice systems of similar jurisdictions. Significant reforms have been made through amending legislation in 2010. Here, three significant conceptual shifts underpinning the recent reforms are discussed. It is suggested that the New Zealand youth justice system is ‘playing catch-up’ both with the adult system, and with comparable jurisdictions. Nevertheless, those factors which allowed the youth justice system to remain non-punitive up to now may act to mitigate the potentially harsh effects of the legislative changes.