On 2 July 2025 the Waitangi Tribunal’s Chairperson, Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox, released the Tribunal’s Strategic Direction 2025-2035.
Read the Waitangi Tribunal Strategic Direction 2025–2035
It follows the conclusion of the Tribunal’s first strategic direction, which ran from July 2014 to June 2025.
The new strategic direction sustains the Tribunal’s comprehensive approach by providing inquiry pathways for all claims yet to be heard. The Tribunal’s district and kaupapa (thematic) inquiry programmes will cover most of the claims. Complementing them will be two standing panel inquiries into claims with remaining historical and contemporary issues respectively.
Currently, the Tribunal has 19 of its 20 programmed inquiries under way. Its overarching objective is to complete all of them over the next decade and thereby clear its backlog of unheard claims. To achieve this ambitious target, the strategic direction sequences the inquiries over the coming decade so as to provide sufficient time for claimants to prepare and the Tribunal to deploy its resources efficiently and in accordance with its priority settings.
The strategic direction sets key targets for 2030 and 2035, delivering its inquiry work programme in two phases:
- From 2025 to 2030 the Tribunal will prioritise its hearing of most historical claims by completing the final five district inquiries and the inquiry into claims with remaining historical issues, as well as five of the kaupapa inquiries.
- From 2030 to 2035 the Tribunal will complete the remaining eight kaupapa inquiries and start its inquiry into remaining contemporary claims.
- During both periods the Tribunal will continue to expedite its inquiries into claims and applications for remedies granted urgency.
In preparing its strategic direction the Tribunal was assisted by the report in March 2025 of the Independent Strategic Direction Review Group, which was appointed by the Chairperson to evaluate its past performance and identify future needs and opportunities.
Read the report of the Waitangi Tribunal’s Strategic Direction Review Group
The Chairperson acknowledged the significant contribution made by the Review Group to the development of the Tribunal’s strategic direction for the coming decade. The Tribunal has accepted the Review Group’s recommendations and reiterated its commitment to ensuring the timely and effective delivery of its work in addressing all outstanding historical and contemporary Treaty claims.