Justice Minister Amy Adams has released some information on the ethnicity of individuals represented by the Public Defence Service (PDS).
Ms Adams has made the information available in response to a series of parliamentary questions for written answer from Green Party MP David Clendon. Mr Clendon asked for information in respect of individuals of Asian, European, Māori and Pacific ethnicity.
However, Ms Adams notes that while the PDS receives information on ethnicity from legal aid application forms, the provision of the information is not mandatory.
Ethnicity of individuals represented by PDS, year to 30 June (indicative only as not mandatory)
| Year | Asian | European | Māori | Pacific |
| 2015 | 1.47% | 20.27% | 30.04% | 9.57% |
| 2014 | 1.17% | 19.81% | 28.44% | 8.67% |
| 2013 | 1.61% | 20.83% | 30.74% | 11.17% |
| 2012 | 2.05% | 23.17% | 32.53% | 14.54% |
| 2011 | 3.32% | 22.24% | 34.85% | 22.30% |
| 2010 | 5.51% | 22.11% | 33.55% | 28.52% |