Citation

Hook GR. MAI Rev. 2009; 2009(3): Article 2.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Nga Pae o te Maramatanga)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Convictions for domestic violence offences are very high for both Māori and Pacific Islanders. Compared with Pākehā the rate of convictions for Māori are about 10 times higher and for Pacific Islanders about 4 times higher. Any judicial system that achieves such excessively high conviction rates against any minority ethnic group as compared with the majority must be viewed with a degree of suspicion. Specific sentences of Māori and Pacific Islanders for their convictions also run exceptionally high compared with Pākehā. For example, the custodial sentences handed down to Māori run about 15 to 18 times higher than Pākehā when considered per unit of ethnic population and about 3.5 times higher for Pacific Islanders. Other forms of sentencing also run exceptionally high for both ethnicities. These data suggest that either both Māori and Pacific Islanders are much more violent than Pākehā, or there is a bias against Māori and Pacific Islanders within the judiciary and police systems of New Zealand.