Sovereignty

'The legitimacy of the state is at best questionable and certainly remains legally unsettled.' Legal scholar Claire Charters (Ngati Whakaue, Tuwharetoa, Ngapuhi and Tainui) confronts the deeply rooted questions surrounding the legitimacy of the New Zealand state and its sovereignty over Maori. Drawing from her influential writings and speeches, Charters critiques the judiciary's historical silence on the state's claim to sovereignty, revealing the profound implications of this silence for justice in Aotearoa. Through a rigorous examination of legal doctrines and the role of tikanga Maori, she exposes the contradictions in New Zealand's constitutional narrative and argues for transformative constitutional reform.