Thomas - Wharekauri No 1A No 2
(2026) 103 Te Waipounamu MB 124 (103 TWP 124)
7 April 2026
Application for an occupation order and determination of ownership of a dwelling situated on Wharekauri No 1A No 2. The Court took into account the unique considerations for the best use and development of land on the Chatham Islands in its assessment of this application.
Download Thomas - Wharekauri No 1A No 2 (541 KB PDF). read more
Sievers - Ohau No 3 Subdivision No 6B
(2026) 534 Aotea MB 178 (534 AOT 178)
14 May 2026
Preliminary decision on applications for partition of Māori freehold land, change of status of land, and determination of ownership of a dwelling. In this decision, the Court considered whether the applicant, being non-Māori and the sole owner in the land, can apply for partition of the land. The Court also determined the ownership of the dwelling on the land.
Download Sievers - Ohau No 3 Subdivision No 6B (252 KB PDF). read more
Bevin v Winders - Succession to David Te Au
(2026) Chief Judge's MB 559 (2026 CJ 559)
8 April 2026
Application to amend a succession order to remove the deceased's whāngai from the list of successors on the basis that he was not entitled to succeed.
Download Bevin v Winders - Succession to David Te Au (634 KB PDF). read more
Heta v Heta - Hauai 2D8
(2026) 311 Taitokerau MB 50 (311 TTK 50)
27 March 2026
Application for an injunction requiring the respondent to vacate a garage on Hauai 2D8.
Download Heta v Heta - Hauai 2D8 (300 KB PDF). read more
Kupa - Lot 10J Pt Omahu 2C1C and other blocks
(2026) 128 Tākitimu MB 162 (128 TKT 162)
20 March 2026
Application to change the status of four sections of land to General land as the applicant was not able to sell them as Māori freehold land.
Download Kupa - Lot 10J Pt Omahu 2C1C and other blocks (198 KB PDF). read more
Biddle - Ruatoki A66
(2026) 370 Waiariki MB 239 (370 WAR 239)
17 April 2026
Decision on two applications seeking orders of partition of Ruatoki A Section 66 for the purpose of developing a papakāinga.
Download Biddle - Ruatoki A66 (548 KB PDF). read more
Fletcher - Part Matapouri 1A
(2026) 311 Taitokerau MB 299
14 April 2026
This application sought to vary an occupation order made in favour of the applicants' late mother. The Court considered whether the applicants could succeed to their mother's occupation order given that she was not an owner in the land that was subject to the order.
Download Fletcher - Part Matapouri 1A (248 KB PDF). read more
Appeal - allocation of CNI forests land - tikanga-based resolution process - Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa v CNI Iwi Holdings Limited [2026] NZCA 92 - Elizabeth Derby
Appeal - jurisdiction of the Māori Land Court - indefeasibility of registered title - Waikato River - Mercury NZ Limited v Māori Land Court [2026] NZCA 91 - Elizabeth Derby
Judicial review - jurisdiction to review party discipline - improper expulsion process - Kapa-Kingi v Tamihere [2026] NZHC 517 - 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
Succession - whāngai - previous succession to biological parent - Larkin - Succession to Tamati Noema Tawio (2026) 313 Taitokerau MB 192 - Elizabeth Derby
Alienation - definition of preferred class of alienees - Moratti - Lot 3 Deposited Plan 440262 (2026) 532 Aotea MB 172 - Elizabeth Derby
2026 Māori Land Court judgments - index
2025 Māori Land Court judgments - index
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa v CNI Iwi Holdings Limited
Court of Appeal [2026] NZCA 92
27 March 2026
Appeals against decisions of the High Court regarding the distribution of Central North Island forests land among the Central North Island iwi.
Download Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa v CNI Iwi Holdings Limited (495 KB PDF).
Mercury NZ Limited v Māori Land Court
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. The Pouākani claimants' appeals were dismissed, while the appeals brought by Mercury NZ Limited and the Attorney-General were allowed in part.
Download Mercury NZ Limited v Māori Land Court (872 KB PDF).
Judicial review - jurisdiction of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner - Reihana v Judicial Conduct Commissioner [2026] NZCA 76 - Elizabeth Derby
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
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
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
Moetara v Rakete - Pakanae 2W1B
[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
Phillips v Scott - Ōuri 1A3
[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).
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 (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).
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
Reihana v Judicial Conduct Commissioner
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).
Reihana v Reihana
[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
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
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
Malcolm v Hahipene - Te Karaka 1B2B1
[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
Bryers v Broughton - Rotorangi No. 2 and Others
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
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
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