Get support

Aotearoa Justice Watch records and collates thematic issues that people from across the country report through our platform. It is a tool for processing issues and concerns civil society organisations may already be receiving about the areas of prisons and policing. Our team can then see where systemic issues and trends may exist, and where further research and scrutiny may be required.  

Aotearoa Justice Watch will not provide direct support to people at risk, in need or assistance with complaints and claims. If you require immediate or eventual assistance, get in touch with the following emergency services, organisations and complaint avenues.

Emergency services and helplines

If you need Fire & Emergency Service, Police or an ambulance in an emergency, call 111

Covid-19 HealthLine: 0800 358 5453 

General HealthLine: 0800 779 997 

Mental Health: Call or text 1737

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 

Youthline: 0800 376 633 

OutLine: 0800 688 5463

Sexual Harm Helpline – Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334

Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843

Family Violence Information Line: 0800 456 450

Child Abuse Prevention Parent Helpline: 0800 568 856

Alcohol/Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797

If you are concerned about a person’s immediate safety, phone your District Health Board – Mental Health Crisis Assessment Team:

https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/mental-health-services/crisis-assessment-teams

Whānau support organisations

Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency

Website: https://whanauora.nz/

Whānau Ora is an inclusive approach to providing services and opportunities to whānau across Aotearoa. It empowers whānau as a whole, rather than focusing separately on individual whānau members and their problems.

Contact: https://whanauora.nz/contact-us/ 
Phone: 0800 929 282 
Email: info@whanauora.nz

Legal support

Legal Aid – Ministry of Justice

Information about how to apply for legal aid:

https://www.justice.govt.nz/courts/going-to-court/legal-aid/get-legal-aid/

Community Law

Website: https://communitylaw.org.nz/

Community Law provides legal support on all kinds of legal problems, from employment, family and housing issues to criminal matters, human rights and Māori land. They give free one-on-one legal help to people who are on a benefit or have a low income.

Contact: https://communitylaw.org.nz/our-law-centres/  

Online Community Law Manual: https://communitylaw.org.nz/legal-information/

Lag Law is a guide about your rights to do with prison. It answers heaps of common questions you might have if you’re going to prison, you’re in prison, or you’re getting out of prison:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://communitylaw.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lag-Law-text-2021-1.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiJ2Zev4-jzAhVEb30KHWR1BHYQFnoECAsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2U6wGWQXuNQyPQhDY_j40D

New Zealand Howard League for Penal Reform

Website: http://www.nzhowardleague.org.nz/

The League’s programme and objectives are aimed at reducing the prison population, reducing recidivism rates and helping reintegration into communities.  

Phone: 09 834 8100  
Email: contact@nzhowardleague.org.nz

The Prison Information Service is a collaboration with the Howard League and Community Law Canterbury to coordinate volunteers from the University of Canterbury in order to provide legal and welfare information to prisoners.  

Details: Canterbury Branch

canterbury@howardleague.org.nz

03 377 0313

PO Box 2912, Christchurch 8140

Youthlaw

Website: http://www.youthlaw.co.nz/

YouthLaw Tino Rangatiratanga Taitamariki provide free legal services to anyone aged under 25 who are unable to access legal help elsewhere, or those acting on their behalf.  

Phone: 0800 UTHLAW / 0800 884 529  
Email: nzyouthlaw@gmail.com

Auckland Disability Law

Website: http://aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz/auckland-disability-law-contact-us  

Provides free legal services to disabled people associated with their disability legal issues. ADL provides legal education on disability law in the community and within disability and legal organisations. They work with the Disability and Deaf communities through their community engagement and law reform activities.

Phone: 09 257 5140  
Email: info@adl.org.nz

Organisations and complaints avenues

Human Rights Commission

Website: http://www.hrc.co.nz/

The HRC has a free and confidential service for human rights enquiries and discrimination complaints. It has a dispute resolution process for discrimination complaints, and can address other human rights issues such as disability, housing, education, race relations, employment and detention. It advocates and educates on human rights.

Phone: 0800 496 877
Email:  infoline@hrc.co.nz
TXT: 0210 236 4253

New Zealand Police

Website https://www.police.govt.nz/

Reporting a crime, or for advising them of a matter you wish police to investigate: 

www.105.police.govt.nz or phone 105

Provide feedback to Police expressing your dissatisfaction online: 

https://forms.police.govt.nz/complaint

By post or in person: https://www.police.govt.nz/contact-us/stations

Feedback for the Commissioner: https://forms.police.govt.nz/forms/contact-new-zealand-police/?about=commissioner

IPCA – Independent Police Conduct Authority of New Zealand

Website: https://www.ipca.govt.nz/

The Independent Police Conduct Authority is an independent body set up by Parliament to keep watch over the Police. They are not part of NZ Police.

Make a complaint to the IPCA:


Online: https://complaints.ipca.govt.nz/195

IPCA complaint form for download:

https://www.ipca.govt.nz/includes/download.ashx?ID=155622

By email: info@ipca.govt.nz
By post: PO Box 25221, Wellington 6140

Prisoner Complaint Process – Prison Operational Manual

Information about how a prisoner can make a complaint:

https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/policy_and_legislation/Prison-Operations-Manual/Prisoner-complaints

Office of the Inspectorate – Corrections

Website: https://inspectorate.corrections.govt.nz/

The Office of the Inspectorate works to ensure that all prisoners are treated in a way that is fair, safe, secure and humane. The Inspectorate is part of the Department of Corrections, but is operationally independent to ensure objectivity and integrity. The Inspectorate carries out inspections of prisons, investigates complaints from prisoners and from offenders in the community, investigates all deaths of people in Corrections’ custody, carries out other investigations where necessary and monitors situations where there are concerns.

Making a complaint to the Inspectorate: 

https://inspectorate.corrections.govt.nz/about_us/making_a_complaint

Phone: 0800 225 697
Email: inspectorate@corrections.govt.nz
Post: Office of the Inspectorate, Department of Corrections, Private Box 1206, Wellington 6140

Ombudsman

Website: http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

The Ombudsman handles complaints and investigates the administrative conduct of state sector agencies, including in relation to official information requests. They also carry out a range of roles that go toward protecting your rights, like monitoring places of detention, and the implementation of the UN Disabilities Convention.

Make a complaint online: 

https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/get-help-public/make-complaint-members-public

Phone: 0800 802 602 or +64 4 4739533 (Language line assistance available) 
Email: info@ombudsman.parliament.nz
Post: The Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143

Judicial Conduct Commissioner

Website: https://www.jcc.govt.nz/

If you would like to make a complaint about the conduct of a Judge, you should write to the Judicial Conduct Commissioner.

Information about the process: 

http://www.jcc.govt.nz/complaintprocess.html

Phone: 0800 800 323
Email: judicialconduct@jcc.govt.nz
Post: PO Box 2661, Wellington

The Privacy Commissioner

Website: http://www.privacy.org.nz/

The key responsibilities of the Privacy Commissioner include investigating complaints, monitoring proposed legislation and issuing codes of practice.

Making a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner: 

https://privacy.org.nz/your-rights/making-a-complaint/

Phone: 0800 803 909  
Post: PO Box 10094, Wellington 6143

Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission

Website: https://www.mhwc.govt.nz/

The Commission provides system-level oversight of mental health and wellbeing and holds the Government of the day and other decision makers to account for the health and wellbeing of people in Aotearoa New Zealand.

People who have concerns about the care they or others have experienced at a mental health or addiction service should contact the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service or make a complaint to the HDC:

https://www.hdc.org.nz/making-a-complaint/

Email: kiaora@mhwc.govt.nz

Post: Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, DX Box SP22502, Wellington

HDC  Health and Disability Commissioner

Website: https://www.hdc.org.nz/

The main role of the Health and Disability Commissioner is to ensure that the rights of consumers are upheld. This includes making sure that complaints about health or disability services providers are taken care of fairly and efficiently.

Making a complaint to HDC online: 

https://www.hdc.org.nz/making-a-complaint/make-a-complaint-to-hdc/

Phone: 0800 11 22 33
Post: PO Box 1791, Auckland 1140

Children’s Commissioner  

Website: http://www.occ.org.nz/

The Children’s Commissioner is mandated to inquire into any matter affecting children and to advocate for children.  

Phone: 0800 224 453  
Email: advice@occ.org.nz

Employment Relations Authority

Website: http://www.era.govt.nz/

The Employment Relations Authority is an independent body that resolves employment relationship problems that cannot be resolved through mediation.

Information about the process:

https://www.era.govt.nz/steps-in-the-authority-process/


Phone: Auckland 09 970 1550, Christchurch 03 964 7850, Wellington 04 915 9550   

Email: 

Auckland aucklandera@era.govt.nz

Wellington wellingtonera@era.govt.nz

Christchurch christchurchera@era.govt.nz

Social Security Appeal Authority

Website:

http://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/social-security-appeal-authority

The Social Security Appeal Authority is an independent judicial tribunal that hears appeals made by beneficiaries who want to challenge a decision made about their benefit. In particular, it considers appeals against decisions made by the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development that have been confirmed or varied by a Benefits Review Committee, decisions made by the Secretary for War Pensions in respect of Veterans’ pensions and related matters.


Phone: 0800 559 009

For more information:

https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/about-work-and-income/complaints/review-of-decisions.html

For migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum

INZ – Immigration New Zealand

Website: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact/complaints/complaint-about-inz  

INZ investigates complaints about any service you received from them, any service you received from a panel physician or clinic, any process failures where they did not follow their own instructions or processes and any response to previous complaints that you believe did not fully answer your complaint. 

Online: 

https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/  
Form for download: 

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/complaints-and-feedback/mb14195_3088_inz-complaints-form_1-0.pdf  

By email: INZComplaintsandFeedback@mbie.govt.nz 

By post: Central Feedback Team – Immigration New Zealand. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. PO Box 1473. Wellington 6140 

The Immigration & Protection Tribunal

Website: 

https://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/immigration/immigration-and-protection/

The Immigration & Protection Tribunal hears and determines appeals concerning decisions about residence class visas, decisions about the recognition of a person as a refugee or protected person, liability for deportation, decisions to stop recognising a person as a refugee or protected person and decisions to cancel the recognition of a New Zealand citizen as a refugee or protected person. The tribunal is administered by the Ministry of Justice.  

Phone: 09 914 4299  

Immigration Advisers Authority

Website: https://www.iaa.govt.nz/

The Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal hears complaints against licensed immigration advisers. It also hears appeals against decisions made by the Immigration Advisers Authority. If you have a complaint, you must contact the Immigration Advisers Authority first. They will then refer your complaint to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.

Make a complaint online http://iaa.govt.nz/migrant/complaints/index.asp


Phone: 04 462 6660   
Email: IACDT@justice.govt.nz 

ASST – Asylum Seekers Support Trust  

Website: http://aucklandrefugeecouncil.org/

ASST works to create a safe and supportive environment for asylum seekers and convention refugees in New Zealand. They provide access to information, services and resources so that those seeking asylum may effectively pursue the determination of their refugee status, and thrive in their new home. They also provide re-settlement support for individuals who have had their refugee status approved to help ensure successful integration into local communities. 

Phone: 09 828 6067  
Email: clientservices@asst.org.nz 

Rainbow Path NZ 

Website: https://rainbowpathnz.com/support/ 

Rainbow Path supports LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers and refugees living in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

Email: rainbowpath@protonmail.com  

RASNZ – Refugees as Survivors

Website: https://rasnz.co.nz/contact/

Provides mental health and wellbeing services for people from refugee backgrounds living in Aotearoa.

Phone: 09 620 2252