Administers Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993, whose central purpose is to promote the retention of Māori land in the hands of its owners. It keeps the record of ownership for Māori freehold land, appoints trustees, and decides succession — work the general courts do not touch. Appeals go to the Māori Appellate Court, and its jurisdiction is distinct from the Waitangi Tribunal's inquiry into Crown breaches of Treaty principles.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- specialised
- Court type
- Specialist land court
- Jurisdiction
- Jurisdiction over Māori freehold land under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993: ownership, succession, trusts, incorporations, occupation orders and partitions.
- Seat
- Various (seven districts)
- Established
- 1865
- Composition
- Judges of the Māori Land Court, several of whom also sit in the Māori Appellate Court.
- Appointment
- Appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister for Māori Development, requiring knowledge of te reo Māori, tikanga and the Treaty.
- Languages
- English, Māori
Where an appeal goes next
Appeal to the Māori Appellate Court, then by leave to the Court of Appeal.
Filing at this court
- Succession application
- No time limit; filed in the district where the land sits
- Appeal to the Māori Appellate Court
- Within two months of the decision
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