The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court Model in Aotearoa: Judicial Perspectives

In order to debate how the Aotearoa AODT Courts should be shaped going forward, we must first understand how they currently operate. The AODT Court model was developed in the United States (US) to respond to recidivist offenders addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Since 2012, two pilot adult AODT Courts have been operating in Auckland and Waitākere based on the extensively evaluated US model. Beginning with an introduction to the nature of substance use disorders to frame our understanding of drug courts, this session explores the core features of the US AODT Court model and then introduces how that model has been adapted to Aotearoa, including to incorporate tikanga Māori and the engagement of peer support ‘alongsiders’.

Presenters:

Judge Peggy Hora, retired California Superior Court Judge and former presiding judge of the Drug Treatment Court

Judge Ema Aitken, presiding judge of the AODT Court in Auckland

Judge Lisa Tremewan, presiding judge of the AODT Court in Waitākere

Matua Rāwiri Pene, Pou Oranga of the AODT Courts in Auckland and Waitākere