Why and how the Rules are changing
The Rules set out how the Court operates – including what the Court and Registrar s must do, and what applicants and other parties need to do when filing applications and documents.
Māori Land Court application guides
To support you through the application process, four plain-language application guides have been developed:
How to apply for succession
How to apply for Partition of Māori freehold land
How to constitute a whānau trust
How to constitute an ahu whenua trust or whenua tōpū trust
These new guides are designed to help you identify the right application to make, understand where to begin, and prepare all the information needed...
Expression of interest application form
Expression of interest information booklet
Applications must be sent to DRSexpressionofinterest@justice.govt.nz by 5:00pm on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
To support this initiative, the Court has established a dedicated monthly hearing for Fast-Track applications. The process has been designed to help whānau complete trustee changes more quickly, reduce waiting times, and provide a clearer and more efficient pathway through the application process.
To support you through the application process, four plain-language application guides have been developed:
How to apply for succession
How to apply for Partition of Māori freehold land
How to constitute a whānau trust
How to constitute an ahu whenua trust or whenua tōpū trust
These new guides are designed to help you identify the right application to make, understand where to begin, and prepare all the information needed before applying.
If the problems cannot be resolved, the landowners
can apply to the Māori Land Court to:
• review the terms, operation, or other aspect of the trust
• add, replace, or remove trustees
• investigate the trust
• enforce the terms of the trust
• vary the terms of the trust
• terminate the trust.
An application to the Māori Land Court needs to be filed
on the relevant application form and accompanied by the
application fee, which is shown on the form.
If the problems cannot be resolved, the landowners
can apply to the Māori Land Court to:
• review the terms, operation, or other aspect of the trust
• add, replace, or remove trustees
• investigate the trust
• enforce the terms of the trust
• vary the terms of the trust
• terminate the trust.
An application to the Māori Land Court needs to be filed
on the relevant application form and accompanied by the
application fee, which is shown on the form.
If the problems cannot be resolved, the landowners
can apply to the Māori Land Court to:
• review the terms, operation, or other aspect of the trust
• add, replace, or remove trustees
• investigate the trust
• enforce the terms of the trust
• vary the terms of the trust
• terminate the trust.
An application to the Māori Land Court needs to be filed
on the relevant application form and accompanied by the
application fee, which is shown on the form.
You can bring whānau with you to court to support you and your application. If you are a whānau or hapū member who did not submit the application but would like to speak in Court, you can file a ‘ Notice of intention to appear upon application ’.
