High Court decision on Māori Wardens funding: Trust calls for law reform
22 October 2026
A High Court judgment released today shows why the Māori Community Development Act 1962 needs to be reformed, says Ngā Wātene Māori o Aotearoa Charitable Trust, the national body for Māori Wardens.
The Court acknowledged it was common ground that the Act is outdated and no longer reflects the contemporary realities of the role Māori Wardens play and the structures through which they operate. It held that the Act needs to be amended if the Crown wishes to fund Māori Wardens in the way envisgaged in the current funding agreement.
“The 1962 Act does not reflect the realities of our work. Māori Wardens have been fighting for reform for decades.”
In the judgment, the High Court found that the Crown’s funding agreement with the Trust was unlawful because it encroached on the authority of District Māori Councils under the 1962 Act.
The New Zealand Māori Council had asked the Court to declare that Māori Wardens can only be funded through the Council and its Māori Associations. The Court made a narrower declaration about the funding agreement only.
Ngā Wātene Māori will now take some time to consider the judgment, its implications for Māori Wardens and the options ahead. Despite the decision, Ngata says Māori Wardens will continue to serve their communities tomorrow, just as they did today and yesterday.
“Wardens will continue to serve at tangihanga, at marae events and community gatherings, and in civil defence responses. They will continue to support whānau, distribute food, mentor rangatahi and work alongside Police and health services.”
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