Helen Bowen
The house that uplifts the spirit
When someone's offending is being driven by addiction, the standard justice pathway can make things worse, not better. Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua — the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court — exists to offer something different.
I help whānau, legal professionals and the court navigate that pathway with clarity and aroha, so the people who need it most can actually reach it.
Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua operates in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Waitākere and Kirikiriroa (Hamilton). It offers an alternative to imprisonment for people whose offending is driven by alcohol or other drug dependency.
Mō wai tēnei mahi — Who I Work With
Specialist AODTC support — for whānau, rōia (lawyers), and the court
Whānau & Families
If someone you care about is in the justice system and addiction is at the root of it, Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua may offer your whole whānau a genuinely different outcome. I can help you understand the court, what to expect, and how to support your person without losing yourself in the process.
Ngā Rōia — Legal Professionals
Referrals from defence lawyers are the primary pathway into the AODTC. If you have a client who may be eligible — or if you're looking for a specialist to take over representation — I offer professional consultations, eligibility assessments and specialist referrals. I have been embedded in the AODTC since the court's founding in 2012.
Ngā Kaiwhakawā — Judges & Court Referrers
The AODTC depends on a multidisciplinary kapa (team) working in genuine collaboration. I bring specialist knowledge of the court's therapeutic model, its tikanga foundations, and its legal framework — and I have been part of that team since Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua first opened its doors.
AODTC Founding Defence Team Member
I am Helen Bowen — a Barrister admitted to practice in Aotearoa New Zealand since 1981. I have been a member of the AODTC defence team since the court's founding in 2012 — working alongside the judges, clinical case managers, probation, police and the Pou Oranga as part of the multidisciplinary kapa that makes the court work.
Alongside my practice, I teach therapeutic jurisprudence at AUT (Auckland University of Technology), and I am a trustee of Hei Tatau Pounamu — a charitable trust that offers tikanga-based post-sentence restorative justice to prisoners and parolees.
I came to this mahi because I believe the justice system is capable of more than processing and punishing. Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua is proof of that — and I have been privileged to be part of it from the beginning.
Tīmata i tētahi kōrero —
Start with a Conversation
Whether you are a whānau member trying to understand the options, a lawyer with a client who may be eligible, or a court professional with a referral question — I am here to help. Every situation is different. The first step is always a conversation.
Kōrero mai — Talk to Helen