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Good governance is the key From the experiences of Māori Land Court Judges, good governance is the key to effective utilisation of Māori land held in multiple ownership.

Located in:  Who we are Our judges Judges' corner articles

Ko te amorangi ki mua ko te hāpai ō ki muri Understanding how we can help you to have a positive experience Just like the marae and how we organise ourselves to carry out the relevant rituals, nau mai is where information gathering and preparation takes place before you file an application.

Located in:  Our application process

Current practice notes include: Ngā whakahuatanga o ngā whakatau a te Kooti Whenua Māori me te Kooti Pīra Māori Citation of decisions of the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court A guide to how decisions of the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court should be cited.

Located in:  Who we are Our rules and legislation

In addition, in accordance with rule 5.11(1)(b)(iii) of the Māori Land Court Rules 2011, a brief summary of the reason why the application has not been finally determined is also provided for each entry.

Documents/5-11-reports/2023-02-28-Notification-of-Applications-Over-6-months-old-in-MLC-MAC-combined-compressed.pdf (2.1 mb)

1 Māori Land Update – Ngā Āhuatanga o te whenua June 2025 | Hune 2025 This update is issued by the Office of the Chief Registrar, Māori Land Court | Te Kooti Whenua Māori to provide key statistics on Māori land, including the number and total area of Māori Customary Land (MCL) and Māori Freehold Land (MFL) blocks, and how many of these are managed by trusts or incorporations versus those that are not.

Documents/Maori-Land-Data/2025-10-28-MLC-Maori-Land-Update-2025.pdf (229 kb)

The way whenua was taken care of and how Māori lived on the land changed with the introduction of laws to allow for settler ownership.

māorilandcourt.govt.nz Forgot Password Guide Te Kooti Whenua Māori – Māori Land Court If you forget your password, please follow these instructions.

Documents/Troubleshooting/Forgot-Password-Guide-v1.pdf (349 kb)

Historically, trust applications were heard by a Māori Land Court judge. Now, if your application is assessed to be ‘simple and uncontested’, then it can be decided by a Māori Land Court registrar without a court sitting (unless you request to be heard by a judge in a court sitting).

Documents/Guides-Templates-Factsheets/Factsheet-Legislative-changes-affecting-trusts.pdf (303 kb)

Please ensure you allow plenty of time for your request to be considered, as your application will not be lodged with the Court until a decision on your request has been made.

Documents/Forms/MLC-Document-A1-request-remittal.pdf (1.4 mb)

Kapohia ki te tuhirau, ki te reehuiringa Preservation of the integrity of the record, the record will prevail As a court of record, our key purpose is to accurately document the succession and management of Māori land. That information makes up the Māori Land Court record, which is the legal and official documentation of land ownership of whenua Māori.