Tēnā koe Jay

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 request below, received by Police on 6 June 2025.

Your reference number is IR-01-25-20918.

You can expect a response to your request on or before 7 July 2025 unless an extension is needed.

Ngā mihi
McCoy
Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Citizen <[FOI #31228 email]>
Sent: Friday, June 6, 2025 8:26 AM
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Official Information request - Te Pae Oranga (Iwi Community Panels) - Mandatory referrals

CAUTION: This email originated from outside the New Zealand Police Network. DO NOT click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and are assured that the content is safe.

Dear New Zealand Police,

I request the following information pursuant to the Official Information Act regarding Te Pae Oranga (also know as the Iwi Community Panel programme):

1. Does New Zealand Police have a policy (nationally or in any district) which dictates that for certain offences, a police officer may not charge the individual for the offence, but must instead refer the offender to Te Pae Oranga?

2. If so, provide this policy (including, but not limited to, the list of offences that require mandatory referral).

3. Notwithstanding any mandatory policy, do police officers retain any residual discretion to charge an offender with an offence captured by the policy (for instance, in the case of a recidivist offender, or other aggregating factor)? If so, please provide any guidance provided to Police staff on this point.

4. Does New Zealand Police seek the views of victims before an offence is referred to Te Pae Oranga (whether through mandatory referral or otherwise)?

5. Any advice New Zealand Police has received (legal or otherwise) about whether a mandatory referral policy risks abdicating or fettering prosecutorial discretion?

Yours faithfully,

Jay Citizen

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #31228 email]

Is [New Zealand Police request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Police? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this message or any of its contents. Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

hide quoted sections

Kia ora

I refer to your request below. I have been asked to advise you that Police requires an extension of time in which to respond to your request, pursuant to section 15A(1) of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). Specifically, section 15A(1)(b), consultations necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit.

Police requires until 21 July 2025 to provide a substantive response to your request, however we are endeavouring to provide this to you as soon as possible.

You have the right, under section 28(3) of the OIA, to make a complaint to an Ombudsman about this extension. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

Kind regards, Michelle
Advisor – Police National Headquarters

-----Original Message-----
From: Ministerial Services
Sent: Friday, June 6, 2025 3:24 PM
To: 'Jay Citizen' <[FOI #31228 email]>
Subject: OIA acknowledgement - IR-01-25-20918

Tçnâ koe Jay

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 request below, received by Police on 6 June 2025.

Your reference number is IR-01-25-20918.

You can expect a response to your request on or before 7 July 2025 unless an extension is needed.

Ngâ mihi
McCoy
Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Citizen <[FOI #31228 email]>
Sent: Friday, June 6, 2025 8:26 AM
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Official Information request - Te Pae Oranga (Iwi Community Panels) - Mandatory referrals

CAUTION: This email originated from outside the New Zealand Police Network. DO NOT click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and are assured that the content is safe.

Dear New Zealand Police,

I request the following information pursuant to the Official Information Act regarding Te Pae Oranga (also know as the Iwi Community Panel programme):

1. Does New Zealand Police have a policy (nationally or in any district) which dictates that for certain offences, a police officer may not charge the individual for the offence, but must instead refer the offender to Te Pae Oranga?

2. If so, provide this policy (including, but not limited to, the list of offences that require mandatory referral).

3. Notwithstanding any mandatory policy, do police officers retain any residual discretion to charge an offender with an offence captured by the policy (for instance, in the case of a recidivist offender, or other aggregating factor)? If so, please provide any guidance provided to Police staff on this point.

4. Does New Zealand Police seek the views of victims before an offence is referred to Te Pae Oranga (whether through mandatory referral or otherwise)?

5. Any advice New Zealand Police has received (legal or otherwise) about whether a mandatory referral policy risks abdicating or fettering prosecutorial discretion?

Yours faithfully,

Jay Citizen

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #31228 email]

Is [New Zealand Police request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Police? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this message or any of its contents. Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

hide quoted sections

Tēnā koe Jay

 

Please find attached the response and documentation relating to your
Official Information Act request, received by Police on 6 June 2025.

 

Ngā mihi

Lisa

Ministerial Services

Police National Headquarters

 

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be
subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which
creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you
are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this
message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this
message or any of its contents. Also note, the views expressed in this
message may not necessarily reflect those of the New Zealand Police. If
you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the
sender immediately