The launch of youth court sittings on West Auckland's Hoani Waititi Marae on Wednesday was the realisation of a dream for a champion of marae-based courts.
Former youth court chief judge Mick Brown says when he promoted the idea 20 years ago, it was labelled separatist.
He told Waatea News Wednesday's launch of marae-based youth courts are a sign times have changed.
Mr Brown says marae-based youth courts are a logical extension to the family group conferences he pioneered as a way to make offenders aware of the effect their crime had on their victims.
