Revisiting New Zealand’s “gift to the world”: demythologising youth justice family group conferencing in Aotearoa New Zealand

In 1989, New Zealand implemented Family Group Conferences (FGCs) as part of the Children, Young Persons, and their Families Act. Since then, New Zealand’s youth justice system, and the FGC in particular, has regularly been portrayed and referenced as an exemplar of youth restorative justice legislat...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Wood, William R. (Author) ; Tauri, Juan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Contemporary justice review
Year: 2025, Volume: 28, Issue: 2, Pages: 220-244
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Keywords:
Victims
Youth Justice
Restorative Justice
New Zealand
Māori
Family Group Conferencing
Description
Summary:In 1989, New Zealand implemented Family Group Conferences (FGCs) as part of the Children, Young Persons, and their Families Act. Since then, New Zealand’s youth justice system, and the FGC in particular, has regularly been portrayed and referenced as an exemplar of youth restorative justice legislation, policy, and practice. In this article we examine six predominant myths about youth restorative justice and the FGC in New Zealand regularly set forth in academic, advocacy, policy, and industry literatures. In examining these myths, we seek to address and temper claims-making regarding New Zealand’s youth justice system and the use of restorative justice as a purported solution problems facing young people, their whānau (families), victims, and communities. We conclude with brief discussion of these myths in light of recent proposed changes to youth justice policies in New Zealand.
ISSN:1477-2248
DOI:10.1080/10282580.2025.2519736