The top District Court judge has announced a fresh approach to the way the country's busiest jurisdiction operates.
'Te Ao Marama' is modelled on the specialist Rangatahi and Alcohol and Drug courts and will be used in the mainstream criminal system, starting in Hamilton next year.
The Chief District Court Judge Heemi Taumaunu says it's a shift to address the underlying causes of offending and he hopes will make communities safer.
Court reporter Anneke Smith filed this story.
