In 2020, Judge John Walker proposed a new pilot scheme to deal specifically with young people who were coming into the New Zealand courts who had a background of trauma and/or neurodiversities. This programme is called the Young Adult List (YAL) and is about ensuring that young people with neurodiversities who find themselves in court know what's going on and if necessary, have a communication assistant. There's more information about the pilot scheme here. 

The YAL pilot has been a highly successful and has now been rolled out permanently in Porirua, Gisborne and Hamilton. It uses various approaches including plain language in the courtroom, improved information for judges, sharing information between the Youth, Family, and District Courts and engaging local agencies and community services to ensure a holistic approach to supporting young adults who have a neurodiversity or trauma. It also helps connect young adults to interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of their offending, so they are less likely to offend in the future. 

Click here to find out more about the YAL and how to utilise it if you are in one of these regions.

• A screening tool is also now being utilised to identify young adults who may have neuro-disabilities or other characteristics that could affect their ability to comprehend and participate in court proceedings. The goal is to ensure that the court process is fair and accessible for all young adults, taking into account their individual needs and limitations. 

• Click here to watch a FASD-CAN webinar with Sally Kedge, a speech-language therapist and court-appointed Communication Assistant from Talking Trouble, and Kesia Sherwood, a young lawyer who did her PhD on the YAL. You'll find other helpful resources from the webinar on this page, too.