The Government is rejecting suggestions that Māori are being unfairly targeted in the police or corrections systems, however, the associate Māori Dean at the University of Auckland's Law School says that personale who interpret those policies and practices are however systemically racists.
A United Nations delegation says the Government needs to research why a systemic bias against Māori is evident in the country's criminal justice system.
50% of the male and 65% of the female prison population are Māori. 54% of young people in Youth Court and 71% of child offenders in the Family Court are also Māori.
Although the Government has launched strategies to combat the issue, like the Police Strategy, Turning of the Tide, and the Rangatahi Courts, the Associate Māori Dean of The University of Auckland's Law School, says a solution to the problem can be achieved with the outlook of Wh`anau Ora.
Khylee Quince says it's quite negative to think about it as a Māori problem, but NZ needs cross party partnership and agreement as well as Māori groups working with the crown to help deal with the problem.