Inside a Courtroom - Wellington Youth Court

	Youth Court Judge Young Person Youth Advocate Young Person's Family Prosecution Youth Justice Coordinator CYFS Social Worker Court Taker

Youth Court Judge

Youth Court Judges are specialist District Court Judges who are chosen for their understanding of the particular issues and problems associated with being a young person, and with their different cultures and backgrounds.

The Young Person

The Young Person is a boy or girl of 14 or over, but under 17 (that is, someone who is 14, 15 or 16, but not anyone who is married, or has been). What counts is how old someone was at the time they committed an offence. So if they were 16 when they're said to have committed the offence, but are 17 now, they'll still be treated as a young person, not an adult. Once someone is 18, they can't be a young person, however old they were when they were said to have committed the offence. They'll be treated as an adult and dealt with in the District Court, not the Youth Court.

The Youth Advocate

The Youth Advocate is a lawyer the court appoints to help a child or young person charged with a criminal offence who is appearing in the Youth Court. The youth advocate is provided free

The Young Person's Family

The family or whanau is the heart of the youth justice system. The law recognises all kinds of family groups across all cultures.

A young person's family includes:

• extended family – including at least one adult related by blood or by law, or

someone the young person is emotionally attached to

• their whanau
• any other culturally recognised family group.

The Prosecution

The Prosecutor is the person taking a court action. In the Youth Court, the prosecutor is nearly always the police

Youth Justice Coordinator

The Youth Justice Coordinator is employed by the Department of Child Youth and Family Services (CYFS) who organises and manages youth justice family group conferences

CYFS Social Worker

CYFS Social Workers are employed by the Department of Child Youth and Family Services (CYFS) who watches how a young person gets on with a plan drawn up in a family group conference or who might write a report about what should happen with them

Court Taker

The Court Taker is employed by the Ministry of Justice and they are responsible for the smooth running of the court and ensuring that records of the hearing are accurately kept.