Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993
Maori Land Act 1993

If you need more information about this Act, please contact the administering agency: Ministry of Māori Development-Te Puni Kōkiri
  • not the latest version
  • This version includes corrections to section 68 under section 25(1)(j)(i) and (iv) of the Legislation Act 2012.
18 General jurisdiction of court

(1)

In addition to any jurisdiction specifically conferred on the court otherwise than by this section, the court shall have the following jurisdiction:

(a)

to hear and determine any claim, whether at law or in equity, to the ownership or possession of Maori freehold land, or to any right, title, estate, or interest in any such land or in the proceeds of the alienation of any such right, title, estate, or interest:

(b)

to determine the relative interests of the owners in common, whether at law or in equity, of any Maori freehold land:

(c)

to hear and determine any claim to recover damages for trespass or any other injury to Maori freehold land:

(d)

to hear and determine any proceeding founded on contract or on tort where the debt, demand, or damage relates to Maori freehold land:

(e)

to determine for the purposes of any proceedings in the court or for any other purpose whether any specified person is a Maori or the descendant of a Maori:

(f)

to determine for the purposes of this Act whether any person is a member of any of the preferred classes of alienees specified in section 4:

(g)

to determine whether any land or interest in land to which section 8A or section 8HB of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 applies should, under section 338 of this Act, be set aside as a reservation:

(h)

to determine for the purposes of any proceedings in the court or for any other purpose whether any specified land is or is not Maori customary land or Maori freehold land or General land owned by Maori or General land or Crown land:

(i)

to determine for the purposes of any proceedings in the court or for any other purpose whether any specified land is or is not held by any person in a fiduciary capacity, and, where it is, to make any appropriate vesting order.

(2)

Any proceedings commenced in the Maori Land Court may, if the Judge thinks fit, be removed for hearing into any other court of competent jurisdiction.

Compare: 1953 No 94 s 30(1), (3); 1956 No 61 s 89(1); 1960 No 120 s 5; 1962 No 45 s 2; 1974 No 73 s 47; 1976 No 148 s 5