Waitangi Tribunal Unit Introduction

The Waitangi Tribunal Unit is a special juristiction unit of the Ministry of Justice which provides support and other services necessary to enable the Waitangi Tribunal to carry out its work.

Establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal Unit

The Waitangi Tribunal Unit was established as a result of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 which required the Ministry of Justice to provide support and services to the Waitangi Tribunal.  While the Tribunal itself is part of the judiciary, and therefore independent of the Crown, the Waitangi Tribunal Unit staff are employees of the Ministry.

Role of the Waitangi Tribunal Unit

The Waitangi Tribunal Unit carries out many functions for the Tribunal, ranging from providing financial and administrative support services to registering claims, conducting and analysing research, liaising with claimants, running hearings, and assisting in the writing and production of reports.

Although Waitangi Tribunal Unit staff are the most frequent point of contact that claimants have with the Tribunal, the staff cannot bind the Tribunal itself.

Waitangi Tribunal Unit Director and Staff

The director of the Waitangi Tribunal Unit, as well as having statutory roles and duties, is the Ministry's senior operational manager responsible for the delivery of services to the Tribunal.

The Waitangi Tribunal Unit currently has a staff of about 60 comprised of Research and Inquiry Facilitation, Business Services,  Claims and Registrarial, and Report Writing and Editorial Teams.

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