Maori Land Court (South Island Office)

The Maori Land Court (Te Kooti Whenua Maori) is the New Zealand court that hears matters relating to Maori land. About 1.3 million hectares in New Zealand is designated as Maori freehold land, just under five percent of the total 26.4 million hectares in the country.

The special bond between Maori people and land is recognised by the Maori Land Court, and the records held by this Court form an invaluable part of the whakapapa of all Maori.

Services provided by the Maori Land Court
The Maori Land Court services are available through its seven registry offices, three information offices, plus their website.

Registry offices
There are seven Maori Land Court Registry offices around New Zealand. At these offices you can access application forms and lodge enquiries, look at historical Maori title and ownership information, and talk to staff about Maori Land Court processes. Office hours are 10 am to 4 pm.

Land information offices
There are 3 Maori land information offices. There are no historical records at these offices however, you can obtain application forms, lodge enquiries and talk to Maori Land Court staff.

Other information available
The Maori Land Court also holds other important records - for example on adoptions, probates and letters of administration stemming from the time the Maori Land Court had jurisdiction in these areas.
Other information held in the Court Records includes:

*Maori Land Court surveys
*partitions of Maori land
*utilisation of Maori land
*incorporation of owners
* Maori land required for public works
* Maori land alienations
* judgments of Maori Land Courts
* status declarations of Maori land
* succession
* burial grounds
* Maori reservations
* Maori school sites.

The Maori Land Court maintains a Court Manual of Procedures and administers the Rules of the Maori Land Court.