June 2013 Māori Law Review
The Treaty and the constitution – a symposium – 12 June 2013
The Māori Law Review hosted a symposium considering the constitutional role of the Treaty of Waitangi.
This event was held on Wednesday, 12 June 2013 at the Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington.
Overview
The Māori Law Review hosted a symposium considering the constitutional role of the Treaty of Waitangi.
This event was held on Wednesday, 12 June 2013 at the Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington.
Papers from the symposium were published in July 2013 as a Special Issue of the Māori Law Review.
Background
This event was part of the conversation that is currently occurring about the constitution in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The review of New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements, being carried out by the independent Constitutional Advisory Panel, was at a stage where the panel was encouraging discussion about the constitution.
The range of issues covered by the review addresses electoral matters, Crown-Māori relationship matters and other topics such as whether New Zealand should have a written constitution. For more details about the review of constitutional arrangements see the Panel's website.
Presenters
The symposium heard presentations from:
- Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC, former Prime Minister - Māori, the Treaty and the Constitution
- Māmari Stephens, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law - Māori constitutionality (and the Treaty of Waitangi)
- Colin James, political commentator - Transition from tradition to modernity
- Craig Linkhorn, co-editor of the Māori Law Review and Senior Crown Counsel - The Treaty in the constitution conversation
- A panel of young New Zealanders (Duran Moy, Marama Broughton, Emma Smith, Julia Whaipooti and Amy Dixon).
Constitutional Advisory Panel member Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith concluded proceedings with reflections on the afternoon’s discussion and ‘The Constitution Conversation’.
Papers from the symposium were published in July 2013 as a Special Issue of the Māori Law Review.
Support for the symposium
The Māori Law Review is grateful for support received to host this symposium from Buddle Findlay New Zealand Lawyers, the New Zealand Centre for Public Law and the secretariat to the Constitutional Advisory Panel.
