20 July 2023
MEDIA STATEMENT
Chief Justice welcomes the appointment of
new Chief Māori Land Court Judge
The Chief Justice welcomes the announcement by Associate Minister of Māori
Development, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, of Judge Caren Fox’s appointment as
Chief Judge of Te Kooti Whenua Māori | Māori Land Court.
Chief Judge Fox (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Whānau a Apanui) is the 17th
Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court, and the first wahine Māori to hold the role....
Page 1 MLC 04/26 - 11
The Māori Land Court of New Zealand / Māori Appellate Court of New Zealand
(Please select the name of the Māori Land Court District in which some or all of the lands or the subject matter of the application is located)
Please select one District Taitokerau Waikato-Maniapoto Waiariki
Tairāwhiti Tākitimu Aotea Te Waipounamu
TO:
.........................................................................................................................................
In August 2020, the Government passed targeted
changes to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 to simplify
the legal processes for owning, occupying and using
Māori land.
In August 2020, the Government passed targeted
changes to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 to simplify
the legal processes for owning, occupying and using
Māori land.
• Tikanga-informed - an agreed process guided by
the values, beliefs, and practices of your whānau
and hapū.
Ko wai te kaitakawaenga? | Who mediates?
You can choose your preferred mediator from a list on
our website.
This is the narrative of a piece of land in Te Tau Ihu – Aorere. It sets out how Judge Reeves dealt with an application for accretion and for determination of ownership, where ownership records had not been maintained for over 100 years.
There have, of course, been numerous ahu whenua trust orders with composite whānau trust-administered areas created since Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 gave statutory recognition to shareholdings within blocks according to discrete whakapapa groups.
Approximately 58 per cent of Māori land is currently held by governance entities provided for under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993. The Māori Land Court receives on average 1,600 applications per year in relation to the establishment and management of trusts and incorporations.
Enhancements include a waharoa at the entrance to the courtroom, improved spaces to support services such as Te Ratonga Whakatau Wenerau our Dispute Resolution Service, and dedicated secure storage for court records and taonga.
CHIEF JUDGE OF THE MĀORI LAND COURT
TE KAIWHAKAWĀ MATUA O TE KOOTI WHENUA MĀORI
MEDIA GUIDELINES
PRODUCED BY THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE MĀORI LAND COURT AND CHAIR
OF THE WAITANGI TRIBUNAL
21 September 2026
This resource is a guide for the media seeking to attend Māori Land Court, Māori Appellate
Court and Waitangi Tribunal proceedings.
