Taonga Artwork by Assoc Prof Steve Gibbs (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Kahungunu). These hang in each of the AODT Court courtrooms and represent many themes such as those from the Serenity Prayer, while also referencing New Zealand’s bi-cultural (now multi-cultural) heritage
Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare Wānanga o
Tāmaki Makaurau
The University of Auckland Faculty of Law and the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts, with the support of the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation, invite you to join us for a conference on:
The Future Directions of the
Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts
– Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua –
in Aotearoa New Zealand
24 – 25 January 2019
Owen G Glenn Business School (OGGB)
University of Auckland, Grafton Road, Auckland
With regard to the United States model, which has undergone comprehensive assessment and which has been adjusted to suit our country and its population, there have been two AODT Courts serving adults in Auckland and Waitākere since 2012. After seeing positive early signs of the effectiveness of the Courts under the pilot project, the Honorable Minister of Justice, Andrew Little, has shown his willingness to support the expansion of AODT Courts throughout Aotearoa with the decision regarding permanent funding to be made next year depending on the evaluation results. It is high time to consider the form, the scope and the functioning of the Courts along with the issues related to the broader reform of addiction ranging from the healthcare system to consumer protection in online casinos.
Topics to be explored during the conference include:
- The origins and evidence base of the AODT Court model;
- The innovations of the AODT Courts in Aotearoa New Zealand, including the role of the Pou Oranga (the AODT Courts’ tikanga cultural adviser and recovery role model) and engagement of peer support ‘alongsiders’;
- Whether the current AODT Court model fulfils its therapeutic and restorative potential, including by appropriately responding to the specific needs of Māori, Pasifika, women, and families; and
- How the AODT Court model should be shaped going forward in order to remain robust and responsive to the communities it is designed to serve, including to better support the recovery and re-integration of participants who have completed the AODT Court programme.
The conference will bring together an exciting line up of local and international experts with policy makers, the judiciary, the legal profession, police, corrections, the health and recovery communities, AODT Courts’ graduates, iwi, students and academics for informed, robust, conversations about what is needed for the successful expansion of these innovative solutions-oriented Courts within Aotearoa New Zealand.Pounamu (greenstone pendants) ready to be presented to graduates of the AODT Court at one of the six-monthly He Takitini ceremonies, where graduates formally join the court’s alumni group.