Story: Judicial system

Specialist courts: Youth Court (2nd of 3)

Specialist courts: Youth Court

The Youth Court deals with criminal offending by children and young people that is too serious to be dealt with in any other way. It hears all cases to do with young people, except murder and manslaughter, or when a young person chooses to have a jury trial. But even these cases begin in the Youth Court, with the judge deciding if the case should go ahead.

Here, a young offender (standing) talks with the judge. To the right is a police officer, while in the background, wearing white shirt and tie, is a representative from Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children. The young man's lawyer, known in the Youth Court as a youth advocate, is seated to his left, out of the photograph.

Courtesy of the Youth Court New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Philip A. Joseph and Thomas Joseph, 'Judicial system - High, district and specialist courts', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/33947/specialist-courts-youth-court (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Philip A. Joseph and Thomas Joseph, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 11 Oct 2016