Following a win in the Supreme Court in 2017, which established that the Crown owes a legal duty to the beneficiaries of the Nelson Tenths Reserves, we returned to the Wellington High Court on 14 August 2023.

The purpose of the hearing was to resolve issues relating to the extent of the Crown’s breaches and liabilities, remedies and any potential Crown defences.

The ten-week hearing finished on October 27 2023. An interim decision was released in October 2024 and we won on almost all the legal points that were argued. A final decision is expected later in 2025. 

The Supreme Court’s decision was the first time a New Zealand court has found that the Crown owes fiduciary duties to Māori landowners to protect their property rights. This litigation is significant and ground-breaking, for Māori and all New Zealanders. 

Our whānau and hapū have been fighting for justice in this case, in some form, for more than 180 years. The time has now come for the government to pursue a principled and pragmatic resolution to this case, which serves the best interests of all parties involved.