Manage your claim

At any point a claim may be amended or withdrawn. An amendment adds to or reduces the issues raised by the claim, or adds more detail relating to the issues. Withdrawing a claim will remove the Tribunal’s jurisdiction to inquire into the claim.

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How your claim is heard

Once your claim is registered, it may participate in one of the Waitangi Tribunal’s current inquiries.

Find out more about our current inquiries

Do I need a lawyer?

Claimants are not required to be represented by a lawyer at Tribunal hearings. However, lawyers are skilled in dealing with the technical legal issues that may arise in an inquiry, in ensuring that evidence is presented effectively, and in managing the large amount of documentation that the claims process often generates. For these reasons, the Tribunal usually prefers both that claimants are legally represented and, where it is appropriate, that claimants arrange joint representation with other claimants.

When claimants appoint a lawyer to represent them, the Tribunal's practice is to treat the lawyer as the address for service for the claim. That means that the Tribunal will send documentation relating to the claim to the claimants' lawyer, who is then responsible for informing her or his clients of the information received.

Find out more about applying for legal aid

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