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"NZ does have proven bias in it's criminal justice system" Exactly what part? Making sweeping statements like this is dangerous. Does racism exist? Yes. Po
by icu 8y ago
"NZ does have proven bias in it's criminal justice system"
Exactly what part? Making sweeping statements like this is dangerous. Does racism exist? Yes. Point it out specifically and I'll fight it with you, but you had better point to specific cases otherwise you risk unfairly tarring people with the same brush.
Let me give you an example.
Years ago I was called up for jury duty. This was back in the days when juries needed to return a unanimous verdict.
I'm Pākehā the defendant was Māori... which made no difference to whatsoever to me. I took this man's fate seriously and carefully weighted the evidence presented.
However, deliberation was locked for two days as the two other jury members, who were both Māori, refused to return a not guilty verdict.
No matter what we did we could not convince those two other jury members and we were forced to return to the judge as a hung jury which required the defendant to remain incarcerated until a retrial.
We were told not to speak to anyone as we walked out of court and as we did, the defendant's family shouted abuse at jury members, including calling us, and that would include me, racist.
I remember feeling so upset over it, especially since I wanted to tell them that it wasn't me, the problem here was Māori being racist to Māori... it had nothing to do with Pākehā racism toward Māori!
So as someone who was temporarily part of criminal justice system, it isn't as simple as your sweeping statements indicates.
- lostlogin 8y agoThat’s really grim. The bias can also happen earlier than that too. My (white) father managed a big warehouse with a Samoan man. They had the same pay, same company car and similar route home. Every few weeks the Samoan man was pulled over and had his ID checked and was questioned about the late model car he was driving. My father wasn’t ever pulled over.
- icu 8y agoThomas Sowell's book Discrimination and Disparities discusses discrimination and has made me reconsider what is actually happening in the type of scenario you describe. I highly recommend it.
- FooHentai 8y ago>Exactly what part? https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/84346494/new-zealands-racist-justice-system--our-law-is-not-colourblind https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/84346494/new-zealands... "From 2010-2014, police and justice figures show Maori made up 51 per cent of prison sentences, 40 per cent of prosecutions and convictions. And yet, over the same period, Maori made up only 30 per cent of those who received pre-charge warnings - in other words, were let off - compared to 57 per cent of Pakeha." This one might be hard to meaningfully argue either way without getting into some kind of 'Maori are more likely to argue with police' kinda speculation. Also, I agree with you anyway - While there is bias within the system, it's not that bias alone (or even primarily) that's driving higher incarceration rates for Maori. It's systemic socioeconomic disadvantages that are really more about 'poor people to go prison more' coupled with 'a disproportionate number of Maori are poor'. >I remember feeling so upset over it, especially since I wanted to tell them that it wasn't me, the problem here was Māori being racist to Māori... it had nothing to do with Pākehā racism toward Māori! Sucks ;(