drug courts – The Spinoff

Soon we’ll know if the tide really is turning on drug punishments

10 May 201910 May 2019 by Asher Emanuel

For decades it has been the policy of NZ courts to send people convicted of Class A drug supply to prison for very long stretches of time, mostly because it was thought to lead to decreased drug supply. A series of cases in the Court of Appeal could change that, bringing the war on drugs … Read more

Would sending repeat drunk driver Gavin Hawthorn to prison really make us safer?

30 November 2018 by Roger Brooking

The news that the recidivist drunk driver will not be jailed for his latest offence has prompted an outcry. But prison clearly isn’t working, writes Roger Brooking. Isn’t it time we tried something new? News that Gavin Hawthorn has recently been convicted of drink driving yet again has caused oodles of outrage in the media. … Read more