The 15-year-old, who was granted permanent name suppression, was found guilty of the manslaughter of 16-year-old Enere McLaren-Taana following a jury trial and was jailed for three years three months at his sentencing three weeks ago before the High Court at Dunedin.
Justice Rob Osborne declined an application for a discharge without conviction predicated on the basis the teen would likely be deported.
Yesterday, the Court of Appeal confirmed paperwork had been filed challenging both the conviction and sentence.
Enere’s family were approached for comment but said they would meet Crown prosecutors next week.
"Personally, I don’t think that’s enough, nowhere near enough," Enere’s father, John McLaren, said.
"Things need to change. The system in this country is f...ed."
During the trial, CCTV footage of the incident on May 23 last year was played repeatedly.
It showed the defendant disembark a bus and briefly pass Enere.
However, the defendant said that he backtracked after he heard a derogatory comment regarding his clothing.
The pair squared off on the footpath before the younger boy reached into a shoulder bag and brandished a 31cm kitchen knife.
Justice Osborne noted the victim immediately retreated and immediately backed up as the defendant pursued him into the middle of Great King St.
He then began swinging "wildly" with the knife, missing once then severing a major vein.
Enere died in hospital later that day.
Judge Osborne accepted the killer had been affected by an incident nine months earlier in which he was the victim of a violent robbery but his actions towards Enere were not self-defence.
Immigration New Zealand acting national manager of compliance Damon Treadaway said there was no age restriction on deportation.
"Where a minor is involved, additional care is taken due to their age and vulnerability, and special consideration is taken to manage the needs of the young person," he said.
Mr Treadaway said family members were not automatically liable for deportation unless their visa was dependent on the minor.
Like adult offenders, the youth would be eligible for parole after a third of his sentence.
He is scheduled to see the Parole Board in June next year.
No date has yet been set for the appeal.
