Friday, 15 August 2025
The Role and Value of the Waitangi Tribunal as the Triti Conscience of New Zealand
Gain insight into the constitutional significance of the Waitangi Tribunal and its role as the Tiriti conscience of Aotearoa. Explore its influence on public decision-making, legal frameworks, and advancing Tiriti-based justice.
Presented by Annette Sykes, Director, Annette Sykes Co Law; Adjunct Professor of Law, Auckland University – Faculty of Law
Description
Attend and earn 0.5 CPD hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
Chair
Catherine Marks, Special Counsel, Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the evolving constitutional role of the Waitangi Tribunal
- Explore how the Tribunal serves as a conscience for Tiriti justice in Aotearoa
Presenters
Catherine Marks, Special Counsel, Electricity Authority Te Mana HikoCatherine has more than 20 years legal experience and specialises in administrative and regulatory law and public law litigation. She was a partner in a UK law firm specialising in local Government and Government law before returning to New Zealand in 2005. A key area of specialisation is regulatory work in the electricity, gas, telecommunications and banking sectors. Catherine's public law experience includes advice on public sector procurement and governance issues, law reform and judicial review.
Annette Sykes, Director, Annette Sykes Co Law
Annette Te Imaima Sykes is a prominent Māori lawyer and human rights activist of Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Makino descent. She is a Principal of her own law firm Annette Sykes & Co based in Rotorua which has a strong focus on all aspects of law as they affect Māori. Annette has practised extensively in the Family and Criminal jurisdictional Courts, Civil litigation and pursuing claims before the Waitangi Tribunal in both District Inquiries, Priority, Urgent and Kaupapa Inquiries. She has been instrumental in cases involving Māori land rights since the Wai 11 Māori Language claim in 1985. She has attended numerous International seminars over the last 30 years promoting the rights of indigenous peoples. As a member of the Māori Law Commission, she works to integrate traditional Māori legal systems into Aotearoa's constitution, emphasising He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi ,also carrying on the decolonisation work of the late Dr Moana Jackson.
