Haerehia ki te rārangi take matua Haerehia ki te whakaterenga matua

The Māori Land Court Bench Book (Bench Book) is a 'quick reference' resource containing information about our Act and Court decisions, primarily used by our judges.

Te Puna Manawa Whenua
Māori Land Court Bench Book

Te Puna Manawa Whenua has been developed by judges for judges, and outlines what they may need to know, understand, and do when hearing applications in the Māori Land Court.

What is the Bench Book?

All courts have a Bench Book, which are prepared by and for Judges as a repository of information about legislation and important cases relevant to each jurisdiction.

Te Puna Manawa Whenua outlines what they may need to know, understand, and do when hearing applications in the Māori Land Court. The name Te Puna Manawa Whenua can be translated to mean ‘the spring from deep underground.’ The imagery of a spring has been used to represent the wealth of knowledge regarding the law that has been pooled together in this bench book and that will be used to support both the land and the people who come to the Court.

Ngā Pātai Auau (FAQs) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Te Puna Manawa Whenua is written by Māori Land Court judges. It is overseen by a judicial editing komiti, comprised of Māori Land Court judges, supported by legal research counsel from the Māori Land Court. The editing komiti is responsible for reviewing and updating the bench book and it releases updates to the bench book four times a year.

  • Te Puna Manawa Whenua is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of the law. It has no more authority than any other commentary—it does not bind judges and does not have the equivalent authority of a judicial decision. 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. These are guides only and often need to be tailored appropriately to the facts and legal issues of the particular case. Māori Land Court judges have discretion to use these standard documents and templates, with or without amendment.

  • The bench book is continually reviewed and updated. Updates to the bench book are released four times a year. You can read what has changed in the “Update history” at the start of the bench book.

  • Yes, Te Kura Kaiwhakawā is working to publish the Sexual Violence Trials Bench Book and Kia Mana te Tangata | Judging in Context: A Handbook later in 2025.

  • Yes, most of the legislation and cases cited in the bench book are linked to publicly available databases, including the New Zealand Legislation website, NZLII and the Ministry of Justice’s decision finder. There are some cases cited in the bench book that are only available in private commercial subscription legal databases. If you have a paid subscription to those databases you can look the case up. Te Kura Kaiwhakawā does not provide copies of cases or documents cited in the bench book.

  • Because the bench book is updated so frequently we recommend extracts from the bench book are only printed when required, to avoid reliance on outdated material. Watch the How-to video for easy instructions on how to how to print extracts from the bench book, as well as other useful navigational tips.

  • Yes, the editing komiti welcomes comments or suggestions about the bench book. Feedback can be sent to TeKura@justice.govt.nz