Health, cultural and social service professionals will join forces with judges, lawyers and criminal justice experts at New Zealand’s first conference in therapeutic jurisprudence at the University of Auckland in September.
The Therapeutic Jurisprudence conference that has been given the name “Weaving Strands: Ngā Whenu Rāranga” will be the fourth international conference of its kind.
This theme depicts the unique intertwining of cultural, legal, psychological and social practice and philosophy in Aotearoa.
The two-day event has attracted a profound line-up of keynote speakers lead by Professor David Wexler from the University of Puerto Rico. He will speak about the future of therapeutic jurisprudence, highlighting moves in the United States, Australia and New Zealand to “mainstream” the approach into legal systems.
New Zealand speakers include Senior Lecturer Khylee Quince, Professor Chris Marshall, Judge Lisa Tremewan and Rawiri Pene.
Sessions at the conference will discuss victim perspectives in criminal justice, best practise in court innovation, mental health intersections with the law, cultural perspectives and transformation of legal spaces, and youth and the criminal justice system.
Professor Wexler says “Therapeutic Jurisprudence is a menu of conceptual tools or approaches for confronting the dysfunctional elements within legal institutions and procedures,” says Professor Brookbanks. “Its goal is to bring about change which affirms the status of people as subjects, not objects, within the multitude of legal procedures that comprise the domain of the law.”
For the conference website and registration, and more information on the full program, click here.