Études de cas

Levin District Court / Manawatū Restorative Justice Trust

Justice réparatrice

* For image references, please scroll to the bottom of the page.

Author of case study: Marcela Torres Molano

Geopolitical location of space:
9 Bristol Street (Corner Bristol and Stanley Street)
Levin, New Zealand

Extant? Yes

Architects:
Tse Architects

Timeframe of RJ/TJ process in this space:

Start date: 2009
End date: ongoing

Background information:

The site is used both for restorative and traditional justice hearings. The spaces are used by the Manawatū Restorative Justice Trust and its different stages. Before any conference the Facilitators will first meet with the victims and their support people to gather information and assess whether a conference is appropriate. They will then meet with the offenders and their support people to ensure the offenders accept responsibility for their actions, and want to try and repair the damage that has been caused.

Is restorative  justice actually taking place in this space?

Yes, this court is part of the spaces used by Manawatū Restorative Justice Trust.

Is this space designed/arranged for safe listening?

Yes, the space includes traditional courtrooms, secure witness rooms and hearing and mediation rooms. A clear visual connection to the public was created to establish a closer relation of justice with the broader community.

How or to what extent is this space public?

The court is a public building and property of the Ministry of Justice of New Zealand.

Physical/factual description of space:

Floor area: 1824 m2
Perimeter measures of lot: 50 m X 19 m (Google Earth approximation)
Completion: 2009
Client: New Zealand Ministry of Justice

It is a contemporary architecture building of two levels. It is a well-proportioned structure that serves its function while integrating coherently with its surrounding environment. “An excellent balance was achieved between functionality and security on this complex.”The north facade uses glazing along the east and west section of the main entry to provide a strong visual connection from the interior to the surrounding streetscape. For the architects, the visual connection encourages participation by regular users and the wider society, and seeks to raise the level of awareness and understanding in the community.

The courthouse was designed to meet the needs of the community. The building includes two new courtrooms, judicial and administration facilities, large waiting and jury assembly areas, secure witness rooms, and hearing and mediation rooms. The design has a contemporary look and uses “motivating accent colours.”

“The courthouse shows a good use of materials and colours throughout, with natural light allowed to enter solemn courtrooms through well-placed skylights.” Environmental sustainability was achieved for this project. The building meets current quake standards, but in 2019, an engineering firm found the upper level was at risk of collapse with an earthquake. The structure was closed for over 14 months.  The courthouse  has advanced security systems and will be capable of supporting the latest technology, including video conferencing and evidence recording services.

Analytical description of space:

Levin is a town with a population of 18,800 (June 2020). It is a service centre for the surrounding rural area. The design of the courtrooms seem to follow a traditional spatial arrangement, where judges are seated in front of the room and participants sit in the following rows.

“Although restorative justice processes can operate in a variety of ways at different stages in the criminal justice system, pre-sentencing conferencing of referrals from the District Court and the Police Adult Diversion Scheme are the most common restorative justice processes in New Zealand. The majority of District Courts now have access to restorative justice services.”

The Manawatū Restorative Justice Trust follows the methodology of restorative justice conferencing. In this process, the person harmed by an offence (victim) and the person responsible for the harm (offender) agree to meet in a safe environment with two trained facilitators. They discuss the action its effects on the people involved. The offender accepts responsibility and the group identifies ways to to repair the harm.

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Études de cas

Vanessa Sicotte

est auteure, conférencière, chroniqueuse et podcasteuse dans les domaines de l'architecture et des arts décoratifs. Elle termine sa maîtrise en histoire de l'art à l'Université Concordia, à Montréal, et détient un baccalauréat en commerce avec une majeure en marketing de la John Molson School of Business. Elle a étudié la psychologie industrielle à Los Angeles, en Californie. Sicotte est l'auteure de deux ouvrages publiés sur le design (2015, 2018) aux éditions Cardinal.

Marcela Torres Molano

est candidate colombienne au doctorat au Département d'histoire de l'art de l'Université Concordia. Elle a une formation en design architectural et en activisme communautaire et détient une maîtrise en bâtiment et design urbain de la Bartlett School of Architecture à Londres, en Angleterre. Ses intérêts se concentrent sur l'art socialement engagé, les mouvements sociaux, l'activisme collaboratif dans des scénarios post-conflit, l'art produit collectivement et l'art produit en relation avec le cadre bâti.

Greg Labrosse

est candidat au doctorat en sciences humaines à l'Université Concordia. Ses recherches portent sur l'agentivité spatiale, l'esthétique sociale, les récits des jeunes et les représentations graphiques de la mémoire urbaine. Il a publié sur la relation entre les enfants, le jeu et l'espace public à Carthagène, en Colombie. Il a également travaillé comme éditeur sur des projets littéraires, dont Territorio Fértil, qui a reçu le prix María Nelly Murillo Hinestroza pour la littérature afro-colombienne.

Dr Ipek Türeli

est professeure agrégé et Chaire de recherche du Canada en architectures de justice spatiale (niveau 2) à l'École d'architecture Peter Guo-hua Fu de l'Université McGill, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Ses intérêts de recherche comprennent le logement à loyer modique et le design participatif, la protestation civile et le design urbain, ainsi que les paysages des campus et la race. Ses publications incluent le livre co-édité, Orienting Istanbul (2010) et le livre (auteure unique), Istanbul Open City (2018).

Dr Cynthia Imogen Hammond

est artiste et professeure d'histoire de l'art à l'Université Concordia. Ses travaux portent sur les femmes et l'histoire du cadre bâti, les paysages urbains, la recherche-création et l'histoire orale. Elle a publié sur l'histoire spatiale du mouvement pour le suffrage des femmes, l'art public, les jardins et les politiques du changement urbain. En plus de ses recherches sur les espaces de justice réparatrice et transitionnelle, elle dirige un projet d'histoire orale sur les mémoires urbaines des montréalais et montréalaises.

Luis C. Sotelo Castro

est un ancien titulaire de la Chaire de recherche du Canada en interprétation de l'histoire orale (2016-2021). Il est professeur agrégé au Département de théâtre de l'Université Concordia et codirecteur du Centre d’histoire orale et de récits numérisés (CHORN) de Concordia. Sa subvention de la Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation en infrastructure lui a permis de créer le Laboratoire d'écoute active (ALLab) en 2018. Basé au CHORN, l'ALLab est un centre de recherche-création de premier plan pour le pouvoir transformateur de l'écoute.