6414 (2024). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister for Courts

6414 (2024). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister for Courts: Further to the answer to Written Parliamentary Question 4890 (2024), specifically what are the opportunities that the Ministry has been supporting the judiciary with work on "to raise visibility of dependent children within the court system when the primary caregiver is in custody and/or may receive a custodial sentence"?

Hon Nicole McKee: As noted in WPQ response 4890 (2024), the judiciary is responsible for the work of the courts, but is supported by the Ministry of Justice in relation to the business of the courts. In the courts, the Primary Caregivers in Custody with Dependent Children project (the project) was established in late-2022, by Judge Walker (the former Principal Youth Court Judge), to investigate options to improve the information available to the criminal court about the existence of dependent children when a primary caregiver is remanded or sentenced to custody. The Ministry has representatives on this working group. The project operates in parallel to the Oranga Tamariki-led system response to the recommendations from Dame Karen Poutasi’s report. Improvements currently being explored with Judge Walker include updates to court forms to capture information about the existence of dependent children of caregivers remanded or sentenced to custody, to help inform judicial decisions around bail and sentencing.