Concerns have been raised about a lack of independent oversight on the police diversion scheme.
Diversion allows for some offenders to be dealt with in an "out of court" way.
Victoria University law lecturer Nessa Lynch has compared the New Zealand youth justice system with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Overall, she says diversion is good at helping young people avoid conviction.
But, she says, there is very little public information available about the scheme, which is completely controlled by the police.
Ms Lynch sees potential for a lack of consistency in punishment.
