Following the quashing of Teina Pora's convictions, the Maori Party is pushing for an inquiry into the justice system over what it calls institutional racism.
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox is calling for an inquiry into the justice system. Photo: SUPPLIED
The party has joined the discussion, with co-leader Marama Fox saying Mr Pora's case was another example of how convoluted, expensive and difficult it was to have injustices like this rectified.
She said an inquiry would find out why Maori were treated differently in the justice system.
Ms Fox said they suffered from institutional racism, and that in fact nobody wanted to hear those words; that every time someone did hear those words, they would start jumping up and down.
She said they would rather call it structural discrimination, which she called institutional racism in itself.
Ms Fox called either for an inquiry or to find pressure points within the system that need to be overhauled.
The party's push comes after youth law advocacy group Just Speak's call for the justice system to follow the example set by the police to make changes in order to address a culture of discrimination towards tangata whenua.
