Explore the most pressing Māori law issues shaping Aotearoa in 2026. You will examine Māori claims to freshwater and geothermal resources, looking at recent litigation, policy changes, and iwi-Crown negotiations, and how tikanga and Treaty principles are influencing access and guardianship. You’ll also get an update on the Takutai Moana Act, including recent court decisions, recognition applications, and evolving Crown policy affecting customary marine title. Plus, cover other topical developments as they emerge between now and March 2026 — from Waitangi Tribunal findings to Māori Land Court decisions — keeping the program responsive to the latest debates and trends in Māori law.
Thursday, 12 March 2026
Description
Attend and earn 4 CPD hours
9.00am to 1.15pm Māori Law in Focus 2026: Water, Geothermal, and Customary Rights
Te Wai me te Pūngao: Māori Claims to Water and Geothermal Resources
As pressure grows on Aotearoa’s freshwater and geothermal resources, long-standing Māori claims to ownership, guardianship and equitable access are coming to the forefront.
Examine recent developments in litigation, policy and iwi-Crown negotiations, exploring how tikanga Māori, the Treaty partnership, and resource management reforms are reshaping the legal landscape for water and geothermal rights.
Takutai Moana Act Update: Navigating Customary Marine Title in 2026
More than a decade on from the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act, the legal and political currents continue to shift.
You will gain an update on recent court decisions, recognition applications, and evolving Crown policy, highlighting how iwi and hapū are advancing customary marine title and protected customary rights in a changing environmental and legal landscape.
Latest Topical Developments
Dive into other big issues making headlines between now and March 2026 — from new Waitangi Tribunal findings to developments in the Māori Land Court, and the evolving influence of tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi across the legal system, including emerging topics and current debates shaping Māori law and practice in Aotearoa.
Your panellists will include:
- Karen Feint KC, Thordon Chambers
- Bryce Lyall, Barrister, Kōkiri Chambers
Learning Objectives:
- Understand recent developments in Māori claims to freshwater and geothermal resources, including litigation, policy, and iwi-Crown negotiations
- Gain updates on the Takutai Moana Act, court decisions, recognition applications, and Crown policy affecting customary marine title
- Stay informed on emerging Māori law issues, including Waitangi Tribunal findings, Māori Land Court decisions
Presenters
Karen Feint KC, Thordon ChambersKaren is a highly experienced advocate who takes a principled but pragmatic approach to securing the right outcome for her clients. She has a wide-ranging civil litigation and public law practice, with particular expertise at the interface of Crown and Māori relations - constitutional law, judicial review, equity, indigenous rights, and Treaty of Waitangi law. Karen has appeared as counsel before all levels of the New Zealand courts and in specialist jurisdictions such as the Waitangi Tribunal. Karen was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2019. She has been a barrister at Thorndon Chambers for over ten years, having previously worked at two national law firms. She has a BA/ LLB (First Class Honours) from the University of Otago, and a LLM from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Bryce Lyall, Barrister, Kōkiri Chambers
Bryce has a nationwide practice spanning public, environmental, and human rights law, trust and governance, and Māori legal issues. He appears in all of the senior courts, the Māori Land Court, and the Waitangi Tribunal. He also undertakes mahi in the District and Family Courts. His practice includes litigation, mediation, refugee and protected person matters, and work involving Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including judicial review, Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 proceedings, and related processes. Holding a particular concern with access to justice issues, Bryce has approvals to provide legal aid services in civil matters, the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court, Refugee and Immigration matters, and the Waitangi Tribunal. He will also undertake work in the Māori Land Court on special aid. He is a member of the Auckland Branch Council of the New Zealand Law Society, the New Zealand Law Society’s Public and Administrative Law Committee, and the Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal Legal Aid Provider Selection Committee. He also serves on the Committee of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. Bryce holds a BA in Political Science and an LLB from the University of Canterbury, and an LLM (International Law, First Class Hons) from the University of Auckland.
