Introduction
The Guidelines have been developed jointly by the Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, Child, Youth and Family and Crown Law in response to the Auckland University of Technology’s Institute of Public Policy’s report Child Witnesses in the New Zealand Criminal Courts: A Review of Practice and Implications for Policy which identified a need for greater consistency between agencies in how child witnesses are supported through the criminal justice system.
Purpose
These Guidelines aim to provide:
-
a principle-based platform for a nationally consistent approach to working with child witnesses and
- clarity about the roles and responsibilities of agencies towards child witnesses - who does what, when, and where and
- a high level framework to assist agencies when establishing monitoring systems.
Scope
These Guidelines cover a child witness’s experience of the criminal justice process from the point the child is first interviewed by agencies to the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
The Guidelines are designed to complement information held by agencies on protocols, processes and guidance involving child witnesses. These Guidelines sit alongside:
- Agencies’ operational guidelines for investigative interviewing and court preparation and
- Information resources for witnesses/complainants and their families/whānau.
It is expected that these Guidelines will be updated on a regular basis to incorporate government initiatives that aim to improve the quality of services provided by agencies to victims and witnesses.
Audience
The main audience for these Guidelines is government agencies working with child witnesses.
The Guidelines will be publicly available and may be helpful for other organisations working with child witnesses, including those in the voluntary sector.
Alongside the leaflet “Moving through the criminal justice system: Information for families/whānau of young witnesses”, the Guidelines may also be useful as a source of information for parents, whānau and others supporting child witnesses.
