Oranga Tamariki Act 1989

Youth justice - Disposal of proceedings in Youth Court

281B: Court may direct holding of family group conference at any time

You could also call this:

"The court can order a meeting to help decide what's best for a young person at any time."

Illustration for Oranga Tamariki Act 1989

The court can tell a youth justice co-ordinator to set up a family group conference at any time during a hearing. You might be wondering what a family group conference is - it's a meeting where people talk about what's best for a young person. The court can pause the hearing until the conference is held, and they will consider the matters the court tells them to.

The court can direct the conference to discuss specific things about the young person. When the court sets up a family group conference, the same rules that apply to other conferences will be used, but with some changes to fit this situation, as outlined in sections 250 to 269.

The court makes decisions about what to do next, and they might use the conference to help them decide what's best for the young person.

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This page was last updated on 25 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM153433.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal help

281A: Court to consider whether family group conference should be held, or

"The court decides if a family meeting is needed when you're in trouble with the law."

282: Power of court to discharge charge, or

"The court can cancel a charge against you if it thinks that's the best thing to do."

Part 4Youth justice
Disposal of proceedings in Youth Court

281BCourt may direct holding of family group conference at any time

If, at any stage of the hearing of any proceedings under this Part, it appears to the court that it is necessary or desirable for a family group conference to be held in relation to any matter relating to the young person to whom the proceedings relate, the court may direct a youth justice co-ordinator to convene a family group conference for the purpose of considering such matters relating to the young person as the court directs, and may adjourn the proceedings until the conference has been held.
The provisions of sections 250 to 269 shall apply with all necessary modifications with respect to the convening of a family group conference for the purposes of this section.

Notes

Section 281B: inserted, on 8 January 1995, by section 38 of the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Amendment Act 1994 (1994 No 121).