Even so, and looking at the world outside and the scale of the problems inside, it is hard not to be pessimistic about my chances, but it's Whangārei itself that gives me hope because it's there I've seen change happen. As a courtroom lawyer, working in a system under strain is not new to me, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale, and nor is working to turn around a system whose practice has come adrift of its ideals. Both the Family Court and the Criminal Court are under immense strain and there are times when neither does the job they set out to do. Nowhere in the Criminal Court are the cracks more evident than in the plight of vulnerable defendants and vulnerable witnesses: children, rape complainants, those with issues that impact their ability to communicate in and understand trials.