Te Puna Manawa Whenua | Māori Land Court Bench Book
Kei ngā reo pāorooro o ngā pari kārangaranga puta i te motu, tēnā rā koutou katoa. Pēnei i te ingoa o tēnei pukapuka nei, he manawa whenua te puna o mihi ki a koutou, ki ngā iwi, ki ngā hunga, ki ngā hapori e kuhu mai nei ki ō tātou Kooti Whenua Māori, nōhea rawa ia e mimiti. Ko te Kooti Whenua Māori tēnei e mihi atu nei, e mihi atu nei. Ko te tūmanako ia, he āwhina nui ki roto i tēnei pukapuka hei hāpai i ngā wāwata o tēnā, o tēnā o tātou.
Te Puna Manawa Whenua has been developed by judges for judges, and outlines what they may need to know, understand, and do when hearing applications in Te Kooti Whenua Māori | the Māori Land Court. The name Te Puna Manawa Whenua can be translated to mean ‘the spring from deep underground.’ The imagery of a spring has been used to represent the wealth of knowledge regarding the law that has been pooled together in this bench book and that will be used to support both the land and the people who come to the Court.
View the bench book
View Te Puna Manawa Whenua | Māori Land Court Bench Book
View the media release (English, 14 May 2025)| Tauākī pāpāho (Te reo Māori, 14 Haratua 2025)
View the recent updates to the bench book
View the how-to-video to learn how to use and navigate the bench book.
By viewing the bench book, you agree to accept the terms outlined in the disclaimer and copyright statements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bench book?
Bench books are electronic resources for judges and judicial officers that bring together up-to-date case law and statute, legal commentary and practice directions.
All this information is available elsewhere—for instance, through legal publishers, and on judgment publishing sites—however bench books are a convenient repository for this information, tailored towards what judges need to know to deal with common situations.
Who writes the bench book?
Te Puna Manawa Whenua is written by Māori Land Court judges. It is overseen by a judicial editing komiti, comprised of Māori Land Court judges, supported by legal research counsel from the Māori Land Court. The editing komiti is responsible for reviewing and updating the bench book and it releases updates to the bench book four times a year.
Do judges have to follow what the bench book says?
Te Puna Manawa Whenua is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of the law. It has no more authority than any other commentary—it does not bind judges and does not have the equivalent authority of a judicial decision. The bench book is a guide only and is one of many resources that judges may choose to refer to.
Te Puna Manawa Whenua refers to various standard documents and templates. These are guides only and often need to be tailored appropriately to the facts and legal issues of the particular case. Māori Land Court judges have discretion to use these standard documents and templates, with or without amendment.
When was the bench book last updated?
The bench book is continually reviewed and updated. Updates to the bench book are released four times a year. You can read what has changed in the “Update history” at the start of the bench book.
Will Te Kura Kaiwhakawā publish more bench books?
Yes, Te Kura Kaiwhakawā is working to publish the Sexual Violence Trials Bench Book and Kia Mana te Tangata | Judging in Context: A Handbook later in 2025.
Can I access the cases cited in the bench book?
Yes, most of the legislation and cases cited in the bench book are linked to publicly available databases, including the New Zealand Legislation website, NZLII and the Ministry of Justice’s decision finder. There are some cases cited in the bench book that are only available in private commercial subscription legal databases. If you have a paid subscription to those databases you can look the case up.
Te Kura Kaiwhakawā does not provide copies of cases or documents cited in the bench book.
Can I download and print the bench book?
You cannot download the entire bench book.
Because the bench book is updated so frequently we recommend extracts from the bench book are only printed when required, to avoid reliance on outdated material. Watch the How-to video for easy instructions on how to how to print extracts from the bench book, as well as other useful navigational tips.
Can I give feedback about the bench book?
Yes, the editing komiti welcomes comments or suggestions about the bench book. Feedback can be sent to TeKura@justice.govt.nz.