Mā te Ture, Mō te Iwi – By the Law, For the People

Te Hunga Rōia Māori co-presidents Renika Siciliano (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto) and Baden Vertongen (Ngāti Raukawa) dedicate this special edition of LawTalk to Matua Moana Jackson and all those who have paved the way, enabling Māori to be themselves within the profession and who have inspired – and often challenged –…

A proud 35 year history of Te Hunga Rōia Māori

Law Society President Frazer Barton congratulates The Hunga Rōia Māori on 35 years of success and honours the special relationship between the Law Society and Te Hunga Rōia Māori, acknowledging the partnership is one that is crucial to a more modern, inclusive, diverse and representative legal profession here in Aotearoa…

Moana Jackson – His legacy

LawTalk pays tribute to Matua Moana Jackson, who was an important figure for so many – for his whānau; for his iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, and Rongomaiwahine; for Māori working in a range of fields; and for indigenous peoples throughout the world through his work on the drafting…

The aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle

Four months after Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged parts of Te Ika-a-Maui, LawTalk speaks to practitioners on the ground to understand the real impact to their clients and communities as they grapple with the long term recovery.  

Waitangi Tribunal, Treaty settlements and beyond

Tara Hauraki (Ngāpuhi, Ngati Porou) explores the developments for Māori within the Treaty of Waitangi legal and political landscape over the past 35 years, including the context around what settlements mean for Māori in addressing historical treaty grievances.

Te Reo Māori and Tikanga in our Courts

A significant milestone was reached in December of last year when the Māori Land Court issued the first fully bilingual judgment in the history of a New Zealand court, Pokere v Bodger – Ōuri 1A3 (2022) 459 Aotea MB 210. LawTalk takes a look at the judgment and what it…

Kia Hohou te Rongo: restoring balance through dispute resolution

Wi Pere Mita (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Waikato – Maniapoto) looks at the future of dispute resolution in Aotearoa New Zealand and the significance of it in our future.

Protecting and enhancing tikanga for future generations

In 2021, the New Zealand Council of Legal Education (NZCLE) decided to amend the regulations prescribing the content of the LLB degree in New Zealand to include teaching and assessment of tikanga Māori. LawTalk speaks to law schools and experts across the motu to see what work is being done…

Bringing Te Hunga Rōia Māori together

The Hui-ā-Tau (Annual Conference) has been the highlight of the year for Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa for decades, with Hui-ā-Tau 2023 shaping up to be no different. Returning to Waikato for the first time in a decade, Renika Siciliano (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto) talks us through the highlights of…

The Independent Panel review: a watershed moment for the legal profession

Baden Vertongen (Ngāti Raukawa) gives his account of the Independent Panel Review’s report and why change is needed in our legal profession.

He Kai Kei Āku Ringa – Financing Māori freehold land

Approximately 1.4 million hectares of land in Aotearoa is Māori freehold land with an average Māori land block being 53.07ha and having 111 owners. Kylee Kapito (Waikato) explains the current inequities relating to Māori land and the challenges Māori face utilizing and developing their whenua for housing and papakāinga.