Tono Mai | Apply Pātai auau | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Tono Mai | Apply Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Videos: Who is Te Kāhui and how can I apply? Pātai auau | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Who can apply to Te Kāhui Tātari Ture? Anyone who has been convicted of a criminal offence in New Zealand and believes a mistake may have been made, or something has gone wrong in their case can apply. You should have already used your right of appeal before coming to us. Does it cost money to apply? No. It is free to apply. What kinds of cases do you review? We can only review and investigate convictions and sentences in the New Zealand criminal justice system. We cannot look at: Corrections or prison conditions Parole Board decisions or processes Family Court matters Civil disputes What if I am in prison? You can still apply. We accept applications from people who are in prison. Do I need a lawyer to apply? No. You don’t need a lawyer. You can apply yourself, or get help from whānau, friends or a support person. Can I access legal aid? Yes, you can apply for legal aid to make an application to us. Complete the criminal legal aid applicaton form. How can I find lawyer if I don't have one? Yes. Legal aid provide information on how you can find a lawyer. What happens after I apply? We will look at your application to check if it meets the criteria. If it does, we may investigate further. If there are new matters that could show that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, we can refer your case back to the Court of appeal. How long will it take? Every case is different. Some are complex and take time. We’ll keep you updated as your application moves through the process. Need more information? If you are an applicant, lawyer, researcher, or support person, here is more information about how we assess our applications. Our role and powers are set out in the Criminal Cases Review Commission Act 2019 Our case procedures explain how we review applications and decide whether to refer a case back to the courts. Our position papers set out the legal principles we generally apply when reviewing certain types of applications, to provide guidance to applicants and their representatives. If you have concerns are about something we cannot review, you can contact: Lawyers - Law Society Complaints Service Police - Independent Police Conduct Authority Judges - Office of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner Corrections - Office of the Inspectorate Government agencies generally - Ombudsmen New Zealand Parole Board - New Zealand Parole Board
