Kua whakatūria ngā kaiwhakawā hou, e rua, mō te Kōti Whenua Māori
I te rangi nei i pānuitia e te Minita mō ngā Take Māori, a Parekura Horomia, te whakatūtanga o Craig Coxhead, me Stephen
Clark ki te taumata kaiwhakawā o te Kōti Whenua Māori.
“Taku harikoa mō ēnei tūranga, he tāngata taumata pukenga teitei rāua tahi, e mōhiotia ana mō a rāua mahi ki roto i ngā
ture whenua Māori, me ngā kaupapa o te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“Me taku manawanui ka mauria mai e ngā kaiwhakawā hou nei ngā puna mātauranga me ngā tohungatanga ki te taumata o te
Kōti Whenua Māori.
He rōpū whakahira rawa atu te Kōti Whenua Māori, mō te whanaketanga o whānau, hapū, iwi, me ngai Māori. He painga mō te
katoa te whakaaro whakapūmau mō tātou ki te whakatere i ngā take whenua Māori, hei whakahaere pai ake, hei whanake i ngā
whenua pupuri Māori, me te hanga huarahi mahi ki roto i ngā whakaritenga ahurei e hangaia ana e ngā pupuritanga whenua
tōpū .
“Kua whakapakaritia te mana a te Kōti Whenua Māori i te whakamanatanga o ētahi ture me ngā kaiwhakawā tāpiri inātata
nei, ki ngā rohe o Kirikiriroa me Te Whanganui ā Tara, hei whakamāmā i ngā mahi taumaha.”
“Kei ngā kaiwhakawā nei ngā pukenga, ngā raukaha, me te maiatanga ki te whakahaere i ēnei mahi me te whakapūmau i te
ngākau pono a te Kōti Whenua Māori, ki roto i te taiao o ēnei wā.
E whai ake nei nga haurongo.
Craig Coxhead: I potaetia a Coxhead i Te Wānanga Ture o te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, ka mutu ka hono atu ia ki McCaw Chapman,he roia, o
Kirikiriroa, ka whiwhi tohungatanga ki roto i ngā mahi a te Kōti Ā-rohe, te Kōti Teitei, te Kōti Whenua Māori, me te
Taraipiunara o Waitangi. I tēnei wā he Kaitohutohu Matua ia kei Te Wānanga Ture o te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, kua hanga
māramatamga kaha tonu me ngā tohungatanga ki te mahi tahi ki te Taraipiunara o Waitangi me te Kōti Whenua Māori. E
matatau ana ia ki te reo Māori, kei a ia anō ngā māramatanga whānui tonu mō ngā tikanga Māori. He perehitini tawhito a
Coxhead o Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa – the New Zealand Māori Law Society. Ko ōna tohungatanga mātauranga me ōna
mōhiotanga ture, koia nei ka whakatika i a ia he mau i tōna tūranga ki Te Whanganui ā Tara.
Stephen Clark: he tangata mahi mō te 20 tau ā-muri i te whakatutukitanga o tana tohu roia i te tau 1987, me tōna urunga atu ki te
taumata mahi roia i te tau 1988. Ā-muri i tōna tīmatanga mahi ki Sellar, Bone & Partners, ki Tāmaki, ka hono atu ia ki McCaw Chapman, roia, o Kirikiriria i te tau 1990, ka tū hei hoa ngatahi i te tau
1996. I hangaia e Clark tētahi mahinga ā-ture pakari, hei māngai mo ngā kiritaki, ki mua o te Kōti Whenua Māori, te Kōti
Pīra Māori, te Taraipiunara o Waitangi, te Kōti Ā-rohe, me te Kōti Teitei. Ka noho hei painga kaha tonu ngā raukaha
ā-ture a Clark ki runga i te taumata o te Kōti Whenua Māori. Ka mahi ia ki Kirikiriroa, i runga i tōna ingoa pai me āna
mōhiotanga ki a rātou mā o Kirikiriroa. He mema tūāpapa, he Perehitini tawhito hoki a Clark o Te Hunga Roia Māori o
Aotearoa – the New Zealand Law Society.
Two new Mäori Land Court judges appointed
Minister of Mäori Affairs, Parekura Horomia today announced the appointment of Mr Craig Coxhead and Mr Stephen Clark to
the bench of the Mäori Land Court.
"I am extremely pleased with these appointments, both are high-calibre with a notable history of work in Mäori land law
and Treaty of Waitangi issues.
"I am confident that the new judges will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the bench of the Mäori Land
Court.
"The Mäori Land Court is of major importance to whanau, hapu, iwi and Mäori development. Ensuring we are able to
navigate through Mäori land issues to better utilise and develop Mäori owned land and work our way through the often
unique processes that collective land ownership creates will be of benefit for all.
"The jurisdiction of the Maori Land Court has increased significantly through the enactment of recent legislation and
additional judges, to be located in Hamilton and Wellington, will help in with the increased workload"
"The new judges have the skills, the ability and the courage to carry out this work while preserving the integrity of
the Mäori Land Court in today's environment.
Biographical details attached.
Craig Coxhead: Mr Coxhead graduated from Waikato University School of Law and then joined McCaw Chapman, solicitors of Hamilton where
he gained experience in the District and High Courts, the Maori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal. He is currently a
Senior Lecturer at the University of Waikato School of Law and has developed a strong understanding of and experience in
working with the Waitangi Tribunal and Maori Land Court. He is a fluent speaker of te reo Maori and has a comprehensive
understanding of tikanga Maori. Mr Coxhead is a former President of Te Hunga Roia Maori o Aotearoa – the New Zealand
Maori Law Society. His strong academic and legal expertise will have him well equipped to take up the appointment in
Wellington.
Stephen Clark: is a practitioner of 20 years experience having completed his law degree in 1987 and being admitted to the bar in 1988.
After initially working in Auckland for Sellar Bone & Partners, he joined McCaw Lewis Chapman, solicitors of Hamilton in 1990 and became a partner in 1996. Mr Clark
developed a strong legal practice representing clients before the Maori Land Court, Maori Appellate Court, the Waitangi
Tribunal, the District Court and the High Court. Mr Clark’s legal abilities will be a considerable gain to the bench of
the Maori Land Court. He will be based in Hamilton due to his positive reputation and familiarity with the people of the
region. Mr Clark is a foundation member and former President of Te Hunga Roia Maori o Aotearoa – the New Zealand Maori
Law Society.
ENDS