Is the Treaty of Waitangi Recognised as law?
“Currently the formal legal position of the Treaty of Waitangi is that it is legally effective in the New Zealand Courts to the extent that it is recognised in Acts of Parliament. The Treaty of Waitangi has no independent legal status.
Why is the Treaty of Waitangi not law?
That’s because it is currently accepted by the Supreme Court that sovereignty (or the right to make binding laws in New Zealand) lies with Parliament only. Only laws passed by Parliament are legally enforceable and the present view is that the Treaty pre-dated the transfer of sovereignty to Parliament.
When did Treaty of Waitangi become law?
Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975.
Why is the Treaty of Waitangi significant to New Zealand?
Why the Treaty is important The Treaty governs the relationship between Māori – the tangata whenua (indigenous people) – and everyone else, and ensures the rights of both Māori and Pakeha (non-Māori) are protected.
How did the Treaty of Waitangi affect New Zealand business?
All in all, The TOW plays an important role in businesses in New Zealand because it gives Maori the same right as the Pakeha in terms of doing businesses. TOW also gives right to Maori to fish their waters and now they can do businesses such as Fisheries and export overseas which brings money into New Zealand economy.
Why is the Treaty of Waitangi so important to New Zealand?
The Treaty promised to protect Māori culture and to enable Māori to continue to live in New Zealand as Māori. At the same time, the Treaty gave the Crown the right to govern New Zealand and to represent the interests of all New Zealanders.
How did the Treaty of Waitangi affect Māori?
It also gave the Crown the right to deal with Māori in buying land. The English version gave chiefs ‘exclusive and undisturbed possession’ of lands, forests, fisheries and other property. It also gave the Crown an exclusive right to deal with Māori over buying land.
How much land does Māori own in New Zealand?
Maori land has been estimated at about 5.6 per cent of New Zealand’s total land area of 26.9 million hectares (Table 1).
Is New Zealand stolen land?
More than 1,200,000 hectares (3,000,000 acres) or 4.4 percent of land were confiscated, mainly in Waikato, Taranaki and the Bay of Plenty, but also in South Auckland, Hauraki, Te Urewera, Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast.