Māori Law Review

Court of Appeal [2026] NZCA 91

26 March 2026

This decision concerns claims to the bed and waters of the Waikato River. Twelve hapū and the Pouākani Claims Trust No 2 (the Pouākani claimants) appeal against a High Court decision that the Māori Land Court has no jurisdiction to inquire into fiduciary duty claims to General land or Crown land and no jurisdiction to make declarations about the ownership of water. Mercury NZ Limited, which holds certificates of title over parts of the river bed, appeals against the High Court's decision not to strike out the Pouākani claimants' customary land claim.

Download Mercury NZ Limited v Māori Land Court (872 KB PDF).

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Te Kōti Pīra – Court of Appeal

Judicial review - jurisdiction of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner - Reihana v Judicial Conduct Commissioner [2026] NZCA 76 - Elizabeth Derby

Te Kōti Matua – High Court

Parliamentary privilege - principle of non-interference in Parliamentary proceedings - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu v Minister of Conservation [2026] NZHC 722 - Elizabeth Derby

Judicial review - jurisdiction to review party discipline - improper expulsion process - Kapa-Kingi v Tamihere [2026] NZHC 517 - Elizabeth Derby

Judicial review - stay of proceedings - abuse of process - Reihana v Reihana [2026] NZHC 568 - Elizabeth Derby

Te Kōti Pīra Māori – Māori Appellate Court

Appeal - status of dwelling - two-stage test not applied - Moetara v Rakete - Pakanae 2W1B [2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 39 - Elizabeth Derby

Appeal - status of land - estoppel - Round Corner Limited v Deputy Registrar - Moutere 8B2 Sec 1 Lot 3 Deposited Plan 20707 and Moutere 8B2 Sec 1 Lot 5 Deposited Plan 20707 [2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 190 - Elizabeth Derby

Costs - Special Aid Fund - Malcolm v Hahipene - Te Karaka 1B2B1 [2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 108 - Elizabeth Derby

Costs - 90% costs awarded - Phillips v Scott - Ōuri 1A3 [2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 165 - Elizabeth Derby

2026 Māori Appellate Court judgments - index

2025 Māori Appellate Court judgments - index

Te Kōti Whenua Māori – Māori Land Court

Procedure - judicial recusal - Mio - Tōrere Pā Reserve and Others (2026) 363 Waiariki MB 47 - Elizabeth Derby

Injunction - occupation of house - removal of trustees - Povey v Diamond - Otakanini L (2026) 308 Taitokerau MB 155 - Elizabeth Derby

Trusts - inappropriate use of trust funds - breach of trustee obligations - Miru v Te Awa - Te Komiti 2A1A (2026) 309 Taitokerau MB 300 - Elizabeth Derby

2026 Māori Land Court judgments - index

2025 Māori Land Court judgments - index

[2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 39 (2026 APPEAL 39)

17 February 2026

Appeal from a decision of the Māori Land Court that a garage on Pakanae 2W1B block was owned by the Ngā Uri o Iehu Moetara Ahu Whenua Trust (the Trust). The appellant argued that his whānau owned the garage. Leave to appeal out of time and leave to advance new matters granted.

Download Moetara v Rakete - Pakanae 2W1B (249 KB PDF). read more

Kapa-Kingi v Tamihere

Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa - High Court

[2026] NZHC 517

10 March 2026

Successful application for judicial review of decisions made to suspend and expel Mariameno Kapa-Kingi from Te Pāti Māori.

Download Kapa-Kingi v Tamihere (4.3 MB PDF). read more

[2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 165

6 March 2026

Application for costs following an appeal against a costs decision made by the Māori Land Court.

Download Phillips v Scott - Ōuri 1A3 (201 KB PDF). 

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[2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 190 (2026 APPEAL 190)

19 March 2026

Appeal against a decision of the Māori Land Court confirming the status of two blocks of land as Māori freehold land and dismissing an application to change the status of the land to General land.

Download Round Corner Limited v Deputy Registrar - Moutere 8B2 Sec 1 Lot 3 Deposited Plan 20707 and Moutere 8B2 Sec 1 Lot 5 Deposited Plan 20707 (280 KB PDF). 

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Miru v Te Awa - Te Komiti 2A1A

(2026) 309 Taitokerau MB 300 (309 TTK 300)

9 March 2026

Decision on whether some of the trustees of the Te Komiti 2A1A Māori Reservation also known as Waiotea Aotea Marae breached their trustee obligations by inappropriately authorising payment of trust funds.

Download Miru v Te Awa - Te Komiti 2A1 (271 KB PDF). read more

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu v Minister of Conservation 

Te Kōti Matua o Aotearoa - High Court

[2026] NZHC 722

25 March 2026

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu sought declarations relating to the Government's proposed changes to conservation legislation with the Conservation Act (Land Management and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The Minister of Conservation sought a stay of proceedings on the basis that such declarations would breach Parliamentary privilege and the principle of non-interference.

Download Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu v Minister of Conservation (245 KB PDF). read more

Court of Appeal [2026] NZCA 76

18 March 2026

Unsuccessful appeal against a decision of the High Court declining an application for judicial review.

Download Reihana v Judicial Conduct Commissioner (153 KB PDF).

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[2026] NZHC 568

12 March 2026

Application for judicial review referred to the Court by the Registrar under s 164A of the Senior Courts Act 2016 as an abuse of the process of the Court.

Download Reihana v Reihana (121 KB PDF). read more

Te Kōti Pīra Māori – Māori Appellate Court

Status of land - registration of change of status - Malcolm v Hahipene - Te Karaka 1B2B1 [2025] Māori Appellate Court MB 603 - Craig Linkhorn

Costs - Special Aid Fund - Malcolm v Hahipene - Te Karaka 1B2B1 [2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 108 - Elizabeth Derby

Trustees - retirement of reservation trustees - Watson v Van der Broek [2025] Māori Appellate Court MB 470 - Craig Linkhorn

2026 Māori Appellate Court judgments - index

2025 Māori Appellate Court judgments - index

Te Kōti Whenua Māori – Māori Land Court

Trusts - refusal to remove interests from trust - Bryers v Broughton - Rotorangi No. 2 and Others (2026) 525 Aotea MB 249 - Arthur Linkhorn

Alienation - invalid lease - injunction - Toatoa v Toatoa - Wharerangi 5B1 and 6B2 Lot A and Lot B (2025) 125 Tākitimu MB 38 - Arthur Linkhorn

Procedure - judicial recusal - Mio - Tōrere Pā Reserve and Others (2026) 363 Waiariki MB 47 (363 WAR 47) - Elizabeth Derby

Injunction - occupation of house - removal of trustees - Povey v Diamond - Otakanini L (2026) 308 Taitokerau MB 155 (308 TTK 155) - Elizabeth Derby

2026 Māori Land Court judgments - index

2025 Māori Land Court judgments - index

[2026] Māori Appellate Court MB 108 (2026 APPEAL 108)

25 February 2026

Application for costs from the Court's Special Aid Fund. These proceedings came about due to the failure of the Māori Land Court to register a 1996 status order determining Te Karaka 1B2B1 as Māori land.

Download Malcolm v Hahipene - Te Karaka 1B2B1 (285 KB PDF). read more

Povey v Diamond - Otakanini L 

(2026) 308 Taitokerau MB 155 (308 TTK 155)

24 February 2026

Application for an injunction to prevent the respondents from occupying the applicant's house on the Otakanini L block.

Download Povey v Diamond - Otakanini L (300 KB PDF). read more

Mio - Tōrere Pā Reserve and Others

(2026) 363 Waiariki MB 47 (363 WAR 47)

12 February 2026

Application for judicial recusal on the grounds of apparent bias and conflict of interest.

Download Mio - Tōrere Pā Reserve and Others (259 KB PDF). read more

525 Aotea MB 249 (525 AOT 249)

28 January 2026

Unsuccessful application to remove Māori land interests from a trust. The principles of the relevant legislation and the interests of the trust outweighed the Applicant's wishes.

Download Bryers v Broughton - Rotorangi No. 2 and Others (182 KB PDF). read more

Te Kōti Pīra Māori – Māori Appellate Court

Status of land - registration of change of status - Malcolm v Hahipene - Te Karaka 1B2B1 [2025] Māori Appellate Court MB 603 - Craig Linkhorn

Trustees - retirement of reservation trustees - Watson v Van der Broek [2025] Māori Appellate Court MB 470 - Craig Linkhorn

2025 Māori Appellate Court judgments - index

Te Kōti Whenua Māori – Māori Land Court

Trusts - trustee duties - MacDonald v Gibson - Ngāti Tāwhirikura Hapū Charitable Trust (2025) 521 Aotea MB 240 - Elizabeth Derby

Alienation - invalid lease - injunction - Toatoa v Toatoa - Wharerangi 5B1 and 6B2 Lot A and Lot B (2025) 125 Tākitimu MB 38 (2025 125 TKT MB 38) - Arthur Linkhorn

2025 Māori Land Court judgments - index

MacDonald v Gibson - Ngāti Tāwhirikura Hapū Charitable Trust

(2025) 521 Aotea MB 240 (521 AOT 240)

12 December 2025

The Ngāti Tāwhirikura Hapū Charitable Trust administers hapū business on behalf of Ngāti Tāwhirikura. The Trust has been in a period of internal dysfunction since 2023, with the trustees splitting into two factions. The two factions applied to the Court for determination on a number of issues. The Court has opted to take a two-stage approach to these proceedings, with this decision detailing the findings of the Court on the issues raised. A subsequent decision will address remedies.

Download MacDonald v Gibson - Ngāti Tāwhirikura Hapū Charitable Trust (280 KB PDF). read more

This table lists the 2026 judgments of the Māori Land Court and contains links to reports about the decisions.

For other years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. Follow this link for the 2026 Māori Appellate Court judgments index.

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This table lists the 2026 judgments of the Māori Appellate Court and contains links to reports about the decisions once decisions are released.

For other years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. Follow this link for the 2026 Māori Land Court judgments index.

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