That is what Youth Court principal Judge John Walker said in a speech delivered at the Otago Youth Wellness Trust 25th Anniversary Symposium in Dunedin yesterday.
The symposium took place at the University of Otago and explored different aspects of youth issues.
Judge Walker explored how the court environment made it difficult for those going to Youth Court to understand the specifics of their case.
It was unfair to expect young people to comply with conditions that they struggled to understand, he said.
Neurodivergence such as autism, dyslexia and brain injuries were common in court and were indicative of the overall problems the legal system was facing.
Trauma and family violence were also areas that needed work.
Judge Walker explored how the Young Adult List pilot scheme in Porirua functioned.
This was a court for 18-25-year-olds, taking Youth Court approaches into the adult court.
This included having lawyers and police who were trained to approach issues with sensitivity and identify possible issues, such as drug dependency.
Other speakers included Associate Prof Nicola Atwool, who specialised in social and community work, and neuroscience trainer Kathryn Berkett.
