Advocating for Victims’ Rights in New Zealand
On September 7, PF New Zealand representatives addressed the New Zealand Justice and Electoral Committee Inquiry into Victims Rights. The PF NZ team recommended that the government strengthen victims’ access to victim offender conferencing and victim offender panels.
The recommendations included:
As a part of the PF NZ presentation, Lynda Dyne gave a short presentation about her participation in the Sycamore Tree Project® as a victim and about her subsequent conference with the her son’s killer. In her presentation, Lynda explained the healing that resulted from the encounter and how she was able to move on with her life as a result.
The committee members seemed impressed by the PF NZ presentations and asked several questions about the Sycamore Tree Project®. The time allotted for the presentation was expanded from 15 to 25 minutes as the committee members asked questions about STP and conferencing.
For more information about the work of PF New Zealand see http://www.pfnz.org.nz/index.htm.
October 2006
- Amending section 9 of the Victims’ Rights Act to provide more explicit support for victims seeking to meet with their offenders
- Creating policies in the Ministry of Justice and Department of Corrections for the implementation of victim offender conferencing and victim offender panels with in prisons in accordance with:
- Section 9 of the Victims’ Rights Act 2002
- Section 7 (2)(d) of the Parole Act 2002
- Section 6 (1)(d) of the Corrections Act 2004
- Appropriating public funds for the development and management of victim offender conferences and panels in the prison system
As a part of the PF NZ presentation, Lynda Dyne gave a short presentation about her participation in the Sycamore Tree Project® as a victim and about her subsequent conference with the her son’s killer. In her presentation, Lynda explained the healing that resulted from the encounter and how she was able to move on with her life as a result.
The committee members seemed impressed by the PF NZ presentations and asked several questions about the Sycamore Tree Project®. The time allotted for the presentation was expanded from 15 to 25 minutes as the committee members asked questions about STP and conferencing.
For more information about the work of PF New Zealand see http://www.pfnz.org.nz/index.htm.
October 2006