MAORI LAND COURT

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25548, 16 July 1948, Page 2

MAORI LAND COURT

RETENTION SUPPORTED BY SIR APIRANA NGATA (P.A.) GISBORNE, July 15. A recent report from Whakatane said Sir Apirana Ngata had suggested that the functions of the Maori Land Court should be taken over by the Supreme Court. Sir Apirana Ngata said to-day that the report was entirely without foundation and did not in any way represent his views on the future of the Maori Land Court. The report referred to proposals alleged to have been made at a tribal gathering at Whakatane. Sir Apirana Ngata was said to have favoured the handling of Maori litigation by a jury under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge. ‘‘l did not attend the tribal gathering at Whakatane recently,” he said. “The occasion of my visit to Whakatane wag the obsequies of the late Lady Ngata. Nothing whatever .was said there about Maori affairs. “I am opposed to the Supreme Court’s taking over the functions of the Maori Land Court. The Supreme Court now is the court of review in certain aspects of the Maori Land Court’s work and the judges of the Maori Land Court occasionally state cases for the decision of the Supreme Court in matters of law. The jurisdiction of the Maori Land Court continues, however, to be exercised in matters of a special nature, and I am positive it will remain for many years to come ” •