Ministers recognise 150 years of the Māori Land Court

Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams and Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell marked 150 years of Te Kooti Whenua Māori –or the Māori Land Court – in Parliament this evening.

“The Māori Land Court is New Zealand’s oldest and longest established specialist court. It holds a special place in New Zealand and is one of a few courts of its kind in the world so it’s important we recognise this significant milestone,” says Ms Adams.

Ms Adams said the Māori Land Court played an important role in New Zealand’s justice system.

“Around five per cent of all land in New Zealand is Maori freehold land which is about 1.42 million hectares – thirteen times the size of Auckland. On average, the Court processes around 3000 ownership applications a year which is a significant amount of work,” says Ms Adams.

“Te Kooti Whenua Māori is the dedicated court in Aotearoa that recognises the unique and special bond that Māori have with land,” says Mr Flavell.

“It also maintains and preserves records and valuable land information including whakapapa. This role has seen it forge relationships with Māori land owners over many generations,” says Mr Flavell. 

As part of the commemorations, Ms Adams launched the publication ‘He Pou Herenga Tangata, He Pou Herenga Whenua, He Pou Whare Kōrero’ which highlights 150 years of the development and operation of the Māori Land Court.

It is the first publication to give readers an insight into the history, people and stories that make up the Māori Land Court.