District inquiries
Much of the Waitangi Tribunal’s focus over the past two decades has been on completing the district inquiry programme. The programme is designed to hear the range of claims (mostly historical) brought by Māori from particular areas in a single inquiry. There are 37 inquiry districts in total. These can be seen in the map below.
Download a high-resolution copy of the Waitangi Tribunal District Inquiries map
The Tribunal has now completed its inquiries into the majority of districts. Some districts, however, have not had an inquiry due to the claimants choosing to negotiate a Treaty settlement directly with the Crown.
In 2001, the Waitangi Tribunal adopted a procedure for district inquiries known as the New Approach, which aimed to achieve the fastest possible progress, while making sure the process is fair by ensuring:
- All issues are researched
- An interlocutory phase is held to identify and refine the issues
- Hearings are focused on the identified issues and grievances
- A Tribunal report is released to assist negotiations and settlement
