Ngā Kaiwhakawā
Our judges

Ngāti Makino, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maru

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Matua Tuarua Craig Coxhead ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 25 o Hānuere 2008 ,ā, i tohua hei Kaiwhakawā Matua Tuarua I te marama o Mei 2024.

Kei Rotorua ia e mahi ana, ko ia te Kaiwhakawā o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Te Waiariki.

I puta te ihu o Kaiwhakawā Matua Tuarua Coxhead mai i Te Piringa i Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato me tōna Tohu Paetahi Mātauranga Aronui i muri mai ka whiwhi ia i tōna Tāhū Paetahi Ture, ā, ka whakaaetia atu ia ki te Kooti Teitei i te tau 1995. I muri mai ka oti i a ia tōna Tohu Paerua Ture i te tau 2000.

I mua i tōna tohutanga, i mahi a Kaiwhakawā Matua Tuarua Coxhead i roto i ngā umanga ture tūmataiti me McCaw Lewis Chapman otirā i ngā whanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ngā take whenua Māori, taihara me te kōkiri whakawā take ā-iwi. Whai muri i te mahi i rō umanga tūmataitinga, i uru ia hei pūkenga matua i Te Piringa i Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato e ako ana i ngā akoranga paetahi me te paerua. Ko ia anō he perehitini o mua o Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa.

He mema a Kaiwhakawā Matua Tuarua Coxhead nō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, ko ia te āpiha whakahaere mō Te Paparahi o Te Raki. I te tū 2011 i tohua ia hei Kaiwhakawā Kooti Matua i Niue, i te tau 2016 hei Kaiwhakawā o te Kooti Matua i Ngā Kuki Airani, ā, inā tata i te tau 2018, hei Kaiwhakawā Matua o Niue.

Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Wilson Isaac ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 11 o Maehe 1994, ā, i tohua hei Kaiwhakawā Matua Tuarua nō te Kooti Whenua Māori i te tau 1999, hei Kaiwhakawā Matua nō te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 13 o Ākuhata 2009. Ko ia tētahi Kaiwhakawā mō Te Rohe o Te Tairāwhiti mō te Kooti Whenua Māori.  He Kaiwhakawā anō ia nō te Kōti Teitei o Niue me te Kōti Teitei o Ngā Kuki Airani. I te rā toru tekau o Apireira rua mano rua tekau ma toru i whakanuia e Kaiwhakawā Isaac i tōna huringa tau whitu tekau me te whakatutuki ai i tana wārati hei Kaiwhakawā Matua o te Kooti me te Heamana o Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti.

Ko Kaiwhakawā Wilson Isaac i whakahaere te Uiui mō Mōhaka ki Ahuriri, te Uiui mō Te Taha Whakararo o Te Waipounamu me te Uiui mō te Takiwā Pāka ā-Motu, Te Uiui mō Ngā Rawa Wai Māori me Ngā Uiui mō te Pūrongo Ratonga Hōhipera me te Hauora o Ahuriri. Ko ia te āpiha whakahaere mō te Uiui mō Ngā Ika-a-Whiro Māori me te Uiui a Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te Toenga o Ngā Kerēme Tawhito.

I tohua a Carrie Wainwright ki te pae kaiwhakawā Kooti Whenua Māori i te 17 o Noema 2000.

Nāna i whakahaere ngā ruku-tātari i ngā rohe o Te Wairarapa ki Tararua me Whanganui me te whakahaere i ngā ruku-tātari kōhukihuki maha, otirā e pā ana ki ngā kaupapahere whakataunga Tiriti a te Karauna. Ko te otinga o ēnei ko te Pūrongo Hātepe Whakataunga mō Tāmaki Makaurau 2007. Nāna hoki i ārahi i te kōtitanga a te Taraipiunara i te Takutai Moana i te tau 2004.

I noho a Kaiwhakawā Wainwright i ētahi atu mana whakahaere mō ngā tau maha (Kooti ā-Rohe, Taraipiunara Whakamaru Hekenga) engari i hoki ki Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te Kooti Whenua Māori i te tau 2017. E whakawā ana ia inā tata nei i ngā uiui e pā ana ki te rapu rongoā, otirā ngā tono mō ngā tūtohutanga paihere e pā ana ki ngā kaikerēme i Te Hiku o Te Ika me Te Wairarapa.

Ko Te Rau o Te Tika: the Justice Inquiry te ruku-tātari hou o te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi e noho nei a Kaiwhakawā Wainwright. I aro pū te wāhanga tuatahi o tēnei ruku-tātari ā-kaupapa ki ā ngā mahi a te Karauna mō te tuku pūtea tautoko ki ngā kaikerēme e tū nei ki mua i te Rōpū Whakamana. I te Pēpuere o 2023, whakaputa ai a te Rōpū Whakamana i tā rātou ripoata, Whakatika ki Runga. 

E tino matatau ana a Kaiwhakawā Wainwright ki te takawaenga i te Kooti Whenua Māori me Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Whakaue

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Stephanie Milroy ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 9 o Hepetema 2002.

Kei Kirikiriroa ia e mahi ana, ko ia tētahi o ngā Kaiwhakawā e rua o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Te Waipounamu, e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Ōtautahi, Waihōpai me Ōtepoti.

I mua i tōna tohutanga, he pouako ture matua a Kaiwhakawā Milroy i Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, ā, he hoa patui teina ia i Harkness Henry and Co, Barristers and Solicitors. I a ia anō te tūranga rōia tūhura matua i mua i te Tari Take Arumoni i Kirikiriroa.

He tino whānui ngā mōhio o Kaiwhakawā Milroy mō te Tiriti me ngā take ture Māori nā ōna rangahau me āna mahi pūkenga. I kauhau anō me te whakaputa i ngā tuhipānui maha mō ngā take Māori rerekē. He mema ia nō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, ko ia te Heamana Tuarua mai i te tau 2010 ki te 2015.

Te Ātiawa

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Sarah Reeves ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 10 o Tīhema 2010. I te 24 o Noema 2021, i tohua a Kaiwhakawā Reeves hei Heamana Tuarua o Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I te 1 o Mei 2023, i noho ia hei Heamana Whakakapi.

Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara e mahi ana, ko ia tētahi o ngā Kaiwhakawā e rua o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Te Waipounamu, e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Ōpawa, Whakatū me Rēkohu.

I puta a Kaiwhakawā Reeves me te Tohu Paetahi Ture mai i Te Whare Wānanga o Ōtākou, ā, ka whakaaetia atu ia ki te Kōti i te tau 1985. I mahi ia i Aotearoa, i Rarotonga, i Hingapoa me Hongipua e aro ana ki te ture arumoni me ngā rawa. I mua i tana tohunga, ko ia te rōia matua mō Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau.

Ko Kaiwhakawā Reeves te Heamana Whakakapi mō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, nāna i whakahaere i ngā uiui e pā ana ki te MV Rena, te mana whakatau kerēme o Ngā Puhi, te mana whakatau kerēme o Ngāti Wai, me te mana whakatau kerēme o Ngāti Maniapoto. Ko ia te āpiha whakahaere mō te uiui i te Mana Wahine.

I tua atu i ōna tūranga onāianei i te Kooti Whenua Māori me Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, i tohua anō a Kaiwhakawā Reeves hei Kaiwhakawā Kōti Teitei i Niue i te tau 2014.

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Michael Doogan ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 25 o Hānuere 2013.

Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara ia e mahi ana, e whakarato tautoko ana ia mō ngā kōtitanga i te Kooti Whenua Māori o Te Rohe o Aotea me te whakawā i ngā kēhi i Taumarunui, Tūrangi, Te Papaioea me Porirua.

I puta te ihu o Kaiwhakawā Doogan i Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa me te Tohu Paetahi o ngā Toi Whānui i te tau 1983 ka whiwhi anō ia i tōna Tohu Paetahi Ture mai i Te Whare Wānanga o Ōtākou i te tau 1986. I tīmata tana mahi hei kaimahi tari mā tētahi Kaiwhakawā i Kirikiriroa i te tau 1986, ā, i mahi ia roto umanga ture tūmataiti me te kaunihera i Te Whanganui-a-Tara i mua i te neke ki Ingarangi i te tau 1990. I waenga i te tau 1990 me te 1995 i mahi ia rō umanga ture tūmataiti i Ingarangi i mua i te hoki mai ki Aotearoa ki tētahi tūranga i roto i te rōpū Ture Tūmatanui me Simpson Grierson i Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I te tau 1998 i whakauru i ki te Rōpū Take Tiriti me Ngā Ture o Tāwāhi i Te Tari Ture o te Karauna.

I te tau 2005 i tīmata a Kaiwhakawā Doogan ki te mahi hei poutoko ture i Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Hei poutoko ture, ko Kaiwhakawā Doogan te rōia mō ngā tūmomo kiritaki Māori maha i te Kooti me Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Te Whānau a Apanui

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Mīharo Armstrong ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 1 o Ākuhata 2014.

Kei Whāngārei ia e mahi ana, ko ia tētahi o ngā Kaiwhakawā o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Te Taitokerau, e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Kaitāia me Kaikohe.

I puta a Kaiwhakawā Armstrong me te Tohu Paetahi Ture mai i Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato i te tau 2001, ā, ka whakaaetia atu ia ki te Kooti i taua tau anō. Kātahi ka neke ia ki Rānana ki reira mahi ai hei kaiāwhina ture i roto i ngā hononga arumoni, ngā tangohanga me ngā pekerapu i mua i te neke ki tētahi rōpū ture i rō whare me te London Borough of Enfield, ā, i reira tū ai ia i mua i Ngā Kooti Takiwā. I hoki ia ki Aotearoa i te tau 2004 ka mahi i Rotorua i reira ka uru hei hoa pātui i Aurere Law i te tau 2010.

He tino whānui ngā mōhio o Kaiwhakawā Armstrong mō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te Kooti Whenua Māori. I mahi ia mā ngā rangatira whenua Māori, ngā tarahiti, ngā kaporeihana, ngā rūnanga whakahaere ā-iwi, ngā whānau, hapū me ngā Iwi. E matatau anō ia ki ētahi atu wāhanga o te ture, ā, i tū ia i te Kooti ā-Rohe, Kooti Teitei, Kooti Pīra me te Kooti Matua o Niu Tīreni. I tua atu i tōna tūranga i te Kooti Whenua Māori, i te tau 2018, i tohua a Kaiwhakawā Armstrong hei Kaiwhakawā nō te Kooti Matua o Niue. I te tau 2021, i tohua a Kaiwhakawā Armstrong hei Kaiwhakawā nō te Kooti Matua o Kuki Airini.

Waikato, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Terena Wara ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 1 o Maehe 2019.

Ko ia tētahi o ngā Kaiwhakawā o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Te Waiariki me te whakawā i ngā kēhi i Rotorua me Whakatāne.

I puta a Kaiwhakawā Wara me te Tohu Paetahi Ture mai i Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato i te tau 2006, ā, ka whakaaetia atu ia ki te Kooti i taua tau anō. I mua i te tohu i a ia ki te Kooti Whenua Māori, he tumuaki a Kaiwhakawā Wara nō Tū Pono Legal, ā, ko ia tētahi o ngā mea i tīmata i te tau 2014. I a ia e mahi rōia ana ko tōna tohungatanga ko te whakatau i ngā take ture Māori, te mahi mā ngā kiritaki puta noa i ngā tūmomo take i ngā mahi rōia noa me te kōkiri take ki te kooti. He whānui ngā mōhio o Kaiwhakawā Wara i Te Tiriti i Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te Kooti Whenua Māori, te mahi mā ngā whānau, hapū, iwi hoki.

He mema hoki a Kaiwhakawā Wara nō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ngāti Kahungunu

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā a Damian Stone ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 25 o Maehe 2019.

Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara ia e mahi ana, ko ia te kaiwhakawā o Te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Takitimu e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Heretaunga.

I mua i te tohu i a ia ki te Kooti Whenua Māori, ko Kaiwhakawā Damian Stone te Hoa Pātui Whakahaere o Kāhui Legal, he umanga ture mātanga Māori. I roto i āna mahi i mahi ia mā ngā kiritaki Māori puta noa i te motu mō ngā momo take whānui, tae atu ki ngā whakariterite whakataunga Tiriti o Waitangi, ngā kerēme o Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ngā whakariterite arumoni me te tuhi kirimana hukihuki, te ture rangatōpū me te arumoni me te kōkiri take ki te kooti. I mua i te uru hei pātui mō Kāhui Legal, i mahi ia mā tētahi umanga ture ā-motu nui mō te 10 tau, ā, ko ia te Rōia Matua mō Te Ohu Kai Moana. Ko ia te perehitini o mua o Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa, he mema o mua nō te Hazardous substances and New Organisms Committee, te Advertising Standards Complaints Board me te mema o mua o te New Zealand Law Society Standards Committee. Ko ia hoki te heamana o mua o tētahi tarahiti mātauranga o tōna kāinga a Porirua.

He mema hoki a Kaiwhakawā Stone nō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ngāti Kahungungu, Kai Tahu

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Rachel Mullins ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 30 o Hepetema 2021. Kei Kirikiriroa ia e mahi ana, ko ia tētahi o ngā Kaiwhakawā e rua o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Waikato-Maniapoto, e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Kirikiriroa, Te Kuiti me Hauraki.

I mua i te tohu i a ia, ko Kaiwhakawā Mullins te Tumuaki o tōna ake umanga ture e aro ana ki te ture whenua Māori me te Mātauranga Māori. Ko Kaiwhakawā Mullins anō tētahi o ngā Tiamana Tuarua o te Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal. I mau i te whakatū i tāna ake umanga, i mahi a Kaiwhakawā Mullins i tētahi umanga ture i Kirikiriroa e whakahaere ana i ngā mahi Whenua Māori me te mahi mā ngā kiritaki i roto i Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ngā whakariterite whakataunga Tiriti me ngā wenewene rawa.

He pia whakahī i puta i Te Whare Wānanga o Ōtākou i tīmata a Kaiwhakawā Mullins ki te mahi i roto i te ture i te Ngai Tahu Māori Law Centre o Ōtepoti. E tino kaingākau ana te Community Law ki a ia, ā, ko ia te Mema Poari Māori Motuhake ki te Community Law Centres of Aotearoa National Board. 

He Tumuaki Wahine o Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa o mua a Kaiwhakawā Mullins, ā, i noho ia ki te rōpū whakahaere i ngā momo tūranga rerekē mō ngā tau maha.

E toru ngā tamariki ā Kaiwhakawā Mullins rāua ko tōna hoa tāne a Luke me ngā mahi nui ki te whaiwhai haere i ā rātou mahi kura rerekē me ngā hākinakina.

He mema hoki a Kaiwhakawā Mullins nō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Pākehā, Cherokee Nation

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Aidan Warren ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 30 o Hepetema 2021. Kei Kirikiriroa ia e mahi ana, ko ia te Kaiwhakawā o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Aotea e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Whanganui, Te Hāwera me Ngāmotu.

I puta a Kaiwhakawā Warren me tētahi Tohu Ture Paerua mai i Te Piringa – Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato i te tau 2000. I te mahi ia roto i tētahi umanga ture tūmataiti mō ngā tau tata ki te 22 i tētahi umanga ture i Kirikiriroa, a McCaw Lewis. I te tau 2008 i tohua ia hei Hoa Pātui, ā, i muri mai hei Tumuaki i te manatōpūtaga o te umanga i te tau 2011. Ko ia hoki te Tumuaki Whakahaere mai i te tau 2011 ki te 2021.

Ko ia te rōia mō ngā kiritaki Māori maha puta noa i te motu mō ngā tūmomo take maha e whai pānga ana ki ngā whānau, hapū, iwi hoki. He tohunga ia ki ngā take ture Māori tae atu ki ngā whakataunga Tiriti, ngā tohutohu rūnanga whakahaere ā-iwi mā ngā rōpū ā-iwi, whakahaere rawa whenua, Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me ngā wenewene ture iwi tūmatanui, te tū ki mua i ngā momo Kooti.

He Kaitakawaenga whai tohu, matatau hoki ia, ā, i roto ia i ngā mahi takawaenga i Aotearoa me Hāmoa, hei kaitakawaenga me te kaiako mō ngā tau maha. He Tumuaki Tāne o mua ia o He Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa.

Ko Ahorangi Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren te hoa rangatira o Kaiwhakawā Warren. He Kaiwhakawā o mua o te Kooti Matua o Hāmoa ia. Tokowhā ā rāua tamariki, ko Tatiana, ko Phillip, ko Mahinaarangi me ko Misiviliamu.

He mema hoki a Kaiwhakawā Warren nō Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Tūhoe, Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tai ki Tōrere, Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Te Aupōuri

I tohua a Kaiwhakawā Te Kani Williams ki te Kooti Whenua Māori i te 30 o Hepetema 2021. Ko ia tētahi o ngā Kaiwhakawā o te Kooti Whenua Māori mō Te Rohe o Te Taitokerau e whakawā ana i ngā kēhi i Whāngārei me Tāmaki Makaurau.

Nō Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa me Ngāti Maniapoto te whaea o Kaiwhakawā Williams, ā, nō Te Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tai ki Tōrere, Tainui, me Te Aupōuri tōna matua pāpā. He kaiako raua, ā, nā tērā i waimarie a Kaiwhakawā Williams ki te pakeke mai i ngā wāhi pērā i a Te Whetū, Kāwhia, Pātea me Rūātoki. Nā tana haere ki Te Kura ō Rūātoki i akona ia ki te reo Māori i mua i tānā haerenga ki Tāmaki Makaurau ki Mt Albert Grammar School kura ai, ā, e rua noa iho rāua ngā tauira i ako i te reo Māori i te kura tamatāne i roto i te tokomaha o te 1,200. I a ia i reira i waimarie ia ki te tākaro i ngā hākinakina maha i roto i ngā kapa hākinakina toa o te kura (Poiuka, Tēnehi, Poipātū, Hoe Waka me te Whutupōro), ā, i uru ia ki te Kapa Whutupōro Kura Tuarua o Tāmaki Makaurau i te tau 1984.

I muri mai ka haere a Kaiwhakawā Williams ki Te Whare Takiura o Tāmaki Makaurau (koirā tōna ingoa i mua) mō te rua tau kātahi ka uru ki te ako i te Kaikaute Whaitohu, i mua i te whakawhiti ki Waipapa Taumata Rau ki te ako i ngā tohu o te Ture me te Toi, ā, ka puta ia me tōna Tohu Paetahi Toi i te tau 1994 me te Tohu Paetahi Ture i te tau 1995. I uru ia ki te umanga ture o C.J.McGuire i te tau 1994, ā, ka uru hei Rōia Tuakana i taua umanga i te tau 1997 i mua i te tohutanga o te Tumuaki, ā, C.J.McGuire ki te pae whakawā o te Kooti ā-Rohe i Rotorua. Kātahi ka whakatōpū taua umanga ki a DE Wackrow i te tau 1997 kia puta ko Wackrow & Co, ā, ka uru ia hei hoa hare kōtui i taua umanga i te tau 2002 e mōhiotia ana ināianei ko Wackrow Williams & Davies Limited. I uru te Umanga ture ki ngā whiringa toa i Ngā Tohu Ture o Aotearoa i ngā wā e toru, ā, i whakawhiwhia ki ngā tohu e rua i ngā tohu reo Māori o Aotearoa. Nā ngā umanga ture i uru atu ia i whai wāhi atu ia ki ngā mahi ture tino arowhānui, i uru ki ngā mahi Taihara i te Kooti ā-Rohe me te Kooti Teitei, me te whakatipu i tētahi umanga ture e pā ana ki Ngā Rawa Kāinga me te Arumoni Whenua, Rawa Hononga, Ngā Tarahiti, Whai Mahi, Arumoni, Kōkiri Take Ture ā-Tangata i te Kooti ā-Rohe, Kooti Teitei me te Kooti Pīra. Engari, i aro ētahi wāhanga nui o tōna ara mahi ture ki ngā take Ture Māori i te Kooti Whenua Māori, Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me ngā whakariterite whakataunga i mahi ia mā ngā rōpū mana whakahaere ā-hapū, ā-iwi maha. I taua wā anō ia i waimarie tonu ia i roto i ana mahi hākinakina i roto i te whutupōro, me te uru ki te kapa NZ Touch Barbarians Masters i toa i a rātou te Whakataetae ā-Kiwa i Whītī i te tau 2013 me te tākaro whutupōro mō Ponsonby i te whakataetae Taumāhekeheke Pakeke o te Ao i te tau 2017 i reira ka toa i a rātou te mētara Kōura.

Ko Kaiwhakawā Williams tētahi o ngā Tumuaki-Takirua o mua o Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa (2006-2008), i kauhau ia i ngā hui mō te Auckland District Law Society, Auckland College of Law, NZ Bar Association me ngā World Indigenous Law Conferences e rua. I ngā tau kua pahure ko ia anō he Kaikōmihana o Te Taha Māori o Te Haahi Weteriana o Aotearoa.

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Kuri

Ko Kaiwahakawa Alana Miriana Thomas tētahi kaiwhakawā o Te Kooti Whenua Māori, he mema anō hoki o Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi. I kopoua ia kia noho hei Kaiwhakawā i te tau 2023. I puta te ihu o Kaiwhakawā Thomas i te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau, i a Waipapa Taumata Rau i te tau 2008. Nōna i reira, ko ia tētahi o ngā kaihautū o te waka o Te Rākau Ture, he kaihoe anō hoki o te waka o Ngā Tauira Māori.

I a ia e tū ana hei rōia, he rite tonu tā Kaiwhakawā Thomas whakakanohi i ngā iwi me ngā hapū puta noa i te motu mō ngā kaupapa e whai take nei ki ngā mōtika o te iwi Māori, pērā i ngā take Tiriti, i ngā take taiao, i ngā take whenua, i ngā take moana, tae rā anō hoki ki ngā take mō ngā tikanga me te reo Māori.

He wahine ngākaunui a Kaiwhakawā Thomas ki te reo Māori me tana manawa piharau, tana manawa kai roke kia ora mai te reo Māori i te ao ture.

Ka noho a Kaiwhakawā Thomas ki nga Kooti i nga rohe o Aotea me Waikato Maniapoto.

Ngāti Porou, Kai Tahu

Judge Milner was appointed to the Māori Land Court on 22 May 2024.

Judge Milner is one of the resident judges for the Tairāwhiti District of the Māori Land Court hearing cases in Gisborne and Ruatoria.

Before being appointed the Māori Land Court, Judge Milner was Special Counsel at Kāhui Legal, a specialist Māori law firm.

He acted for a number of clients across the country on a wide range of issues affecting whānau, hapū and iwi. He has specialised in Māori legal issues including Māori land law, Treaty settlements, post-settlement governance advice for iwi groups, Waitangi Tribunal and general public law disputes and legislative development.

Judge Milner graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 2000 with an LLB and a Bachelor of Arts (Māori) and First Class Honours in Politics and International Relations. Prior to his admission to the bar he was an Assistant Investigating Officer, at the Office of the Ombudsman, and later Research Counsel for the Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court (who is also the Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal) and later served as Assistant Registrar of the Waitangi Tribunal.

Judge Milner is also a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.