Institutional racism

Often these days we hear allegations of institutional racism and unconscious bias levelled at our judicial system and police, respectively, to explain the high numbers of Ma¯ ori appearing in our courts and being incarcerated in our prisons. The latest allegation is that police are pursuing more Ma¯ ori drivers than others and more Ma¯ ori are dying in police pursuits as a result.

First of all, before you can be arrested in this country, a police officer has to have good cause to suspect or believe on reasonable and probable grounds that a person has committed a crime or an offence. That is the law. You cannot be arrested for just being a Ma¯ ori in a public place or for being a Ma¯ ori driving a motor vehicle. Once arrested, you go to court, where you have the choice of pleading guilty or not guilty to the offence or crime with which you are charged.You will be seen by a duty solicitor, provided free of charge, courtesy of the taxpayer. If you plead not guilty, you may well be eligible for legal aid, again free of charge, courtesy of the taxpayer (i.e. members of the society against whom you are alleged to have offended.) By pleading not guilty, you have the right to challenge the evidence presented to the court and defend your actions. The court, not the police, will determine whether you are guilty or not guilty and will decide on an appropriate sanction.

A Paul, Hamilton