A prisoner advocacy group suggests New Zealand must move away from Western justice systems, when determining outcomes for Maori

A report from JustSpeak has collated research on Maori women's experience in the justice system.

It suggests harsher outcomes are more likely, and blames our colonial history.

Report author Laura Johnstone argues the country shouldn't see Maori approaches to justice as alternative.

She says it could be worth looking at ways Maori administer justice for themselves, rather than trying to impose Western ideas.