The Tribunal affirms te reo Māori as the indigenous language and an official language of New Zealand, further it is a taonga of te iwi Māori and a language valued by the nation[1]. The Tribunal supports the use of te reo Māori by all participants in Tribunal processes (including Tribunal members, claimants, counsel, witnesses and interested parties) and in all written documentation and oral content (including submissions and evidence). The Tribunal presumes that te reo Māori will be used by participants at hearings and will provide a te reo Māori interpreter to provide simultaneous translation at Tribunal events[2].
Parties who file documents in te reo Māori are not required to provide an English translation, however, they will be invited by the Tribunal in the first instance to do so, should they wish to have their own English translation on the record of inquiry. If the relevant party or witness decides they do want to provide their own English translation, this should be filed with the Tribunal as soon as practicable. The translation will be placed on the record of inquiry as well as the original in te reo Māori.
If the relevant party or witness cannot or choose not to provide their own English translation, they should notify the Tribunal, via the Registrar, as soon as practicable. The Tribunal will then provide, in consultation with the relevant party and their counsel, an English translation of the document. Once the translation is completed, the relevant party should be given the opportunity to review the translation for accuracy and can provide feedback. The translation will be placed on the record of inquiry as well as the original in te reo Māori.
[1] Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori (Māori Language) Act 2016, s 3(2)(a)
[2] At s 7(3)
Source: Guide to Practice and Procedure for the Waitangi Tribunal 2023. pages 41-42