Youth Justice in New Zealand: A Children's Rights Perspective

New Zealand's youth justice system has been lauded internationally for its restorative and diversionary approach to youth justice. This article takes a fresh perspective to youth justice in New Zealand, namely that of children's rights. Using the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and associated international standards as benchmarks, this article argues that although the system has many positive aspects in its design, there are difficulties in implementation, especially in relation to checks on discretion. This article also queries whether the future direction of the New Zealand youth justice system, especially the increased emphasis on restorative justice, is positive for children.