The bench book is a guide only and is one of many resources that judges may choose to refer to.
Te Puna Manawa Whenua refers to various standard documents and templates.
Training programmes are currently run out of some Court district offices, although there is no overall consistency in the training offered, and the programmes vary in each region, which means that training is not available to all trustees, and where it is available, it may not be comprehensive.
The project has proven, simply by the volume of work completed and by the number of title anomalies uncovered, that both title systems were in a parlous and unsatisfactory state.
On 9 November 2015, the Court approved a list of 1071 persons for the Hāwea-Wānaka substitute block.11 An updated list was referred to the Court on 5 October 2017, which included a list of 1146 interim beneficiaries for the block.
He tohutohu a te Kaiwhakawā
Direction of the judge
After further consultation, I reschedule dates as follows:
From Ministry of Justice District Court, Waitangi-Tuku Road, Chatham Islands, 10:00am,
Wednesday 21 October 2026
To Ministry of Justice District Court, Waitangi-Tuku Road, Chatham Islands, 10:00am,
Thursday 8 October 2026
This direction is issued pursuant to rule 3.8(1)(b) Māori Land Court Rules 2011 and
a copy is to be sent to the Kaiwhakawā Ma...
While it is not a comprehensive statement of the law and does not bind judges, Te Puna Manawa Whenua serves as a guide and reference for judges to refer to. However, judges retain discretion over how they use its standard documents and templates and tailor them to the specific facts and legal issues of each case.