Establishing the Centre for Justice Innovation

The Centre for Justice Innovation is being established to provide an independent, evidence-based voice on justice issues, through multidisciplinary research, evaluation, and education.

About the project

With an emphasis on translation to operations and practice, the focus of the Centre for Justice Innovation is on providing an evidence-base for informed debate. The Centre will be concerned with innovation in both specific justice reforms and broader innovation in thinking and practice. It will seek to unify expertise and experience relevant to the delivery of justice in Aotearoa New Zealand. When established, the Centre will apply research to cross-cutting issues in the justice system through original research, public dissemination of independent research and evaluation, and the provision of education on justice matters.

This grant will allow for the Centre to be established and launched with three public lectures on Te Ao Mārama, sexual violence reform, and the wellbeing impacts of working in the criminal courts. As part of its establishment, the Centre will establish a web presence and will scope its initial work programme.

Grant amount

$93,687 over 12 months from February 2023

About the Centre’s co-directors

The Centre has three co-directors who are responsible for establishing the Centre and its initial work programme:

Professor Yvette Tinsley is based in the Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. She has conducted extensive research on criminal justice issues in New Zealand and internationally, with a specific focus on empirical projects and legal policy reform.

Judge John Walker was Presiding Judge in the Youth Drug Court for the first three years of its operation (2002 – 2005). He served as the Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand from 2016-2022, and now has an Acting warrant as a District Court Judge. He has been involved in judicial education, developing Porirua District Court into a court connected with the community it serves, mainstreaming solution-focused court practice, and the establishment of the Young Adult List.

Everard Halbert (Rongowhakaata, Te Arawa) is experienced in tikanga and mātauranga Māori. He has extensive experience working in the dispute resolution space in the private and public sectors, including mediation, restorative practice, and Te Pae Oranga (iwi justice panels).

Contact

Yvette Tinsley, Professor, Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington

Yvette.Tinsley@vuw.ac.nz

CentreForJusticeInnovation@vuw.ac.nz

04 463 6308

https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/Yvette.Tinsley