The Māori Land Court
Te kōrero Māori i Te kōti Whenua Māori/
Speaking te reo in the Māori Land Court
Ka āhei au ki te kōrero i te reo Māori i roto i te kōti?
Āe. Ka āhei koe ki te kōrero Māori i ngā kōti katoa o Aotearoa i raro i te mana o te Ture mō Te Reo Māori. Kei a koe tēnei motika i te Kōti Whenua Māori me te Kōti Pīra Māori (kei reira ngā pīra e rangona ai), heoi anō, e āhei ana koe ki te kōrero Māori i ngā kōti katoa o Aotearoa, tae atu ana ki te Kōti Matua, te Kōti ā-Rohe, te Kōti ā-Whānau me te Kōti Taiohi anō hoki.
(Kia kitea ai te nuinga o ngā kōrero e pā ana ki tō motika ki te kōrero Māori i ngā kōti, tirohia te upoko, “Te reo Māori”.)
Can I speak te reo Māori in court?
Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016, wehenga 7(1); Māori Language Act 2016, s 7(1)
Yes. The Māori Language Act 2016 gives you the right to speak te reo in all courts in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This means you can speak te reo not only in the Māori Land Court/Te Kōti Whenua Māori and the Māori Appellate Court/Te Kōti Pīra Māori (which hears appeals from the Māori Land Court) – but also in all other courts such as the High Court, the District Court, the Family Court and the Youth Court.
(For more information about exercising your right to speak te reo in the courts, see the chapter “Te reo Māori”.)