2017 Keynote Speakers

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2017 Keynote Speakers

Our Youth/Juvenile Justice System: Radical surgery required or just some Nip and Tuck?

His Honour Judge Andrew Becroft was appointed the Children’s Commissioner for New Zealand for a two year period from June 2016. Prior to that he was the Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand from 2001 to 2016; and a District Court Judge from 1996 to 2001.

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Judge Becroft attended Rongotai College in Wellington and graduated from Auckland University in 1981 with a BA/LLB (Honours) degree.

He practised in Auckland with the firm Fortune Manning & Partners until 1986 when he then assisted with the establishment of the Mangere Community Law Centre and worked there until 1993. He then worked as a criminal barrister in South Auckland until his appointment to the District Court bench, sitting in Whanganui, from 1996.

Judge Becroft is a former council member of the Auckland District Law Society and the New Zealand Law Society. He is a current editor of LexisNexis “Transport Law”, is the Patron of the New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc., which assists those with various forms of speech impediment, and is the Chairperson of the Board of the Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship (NZ) Inc.

In 2009, Judge Becroft received an award from the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand as Communicator of the Year. In 2010 Judge Becroft was the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland.

He is married with three children, aged 21, 19 and 16. Judge Becroft is a keen sports watcher, but he confesses, only an average (but enthusiastic) participant.

As Principal Youth Court Judge he was strongly committed to a specialist approach to dealing with youth and child offenders, and brings to the Commissioner’s role a particular focus on teenagers and adolescent development generally. Judge Becroft is privileged and challenged to be the advocate for New Zealand’s 1.12 million under 18-year-olds.