Books by Richard Boast

This is the third volume in a series of books dealing with the Native/Maori Land Court (established 1862-1865 and which is still operative and is an important part of the New Zealand legal system). The earlier volumes were published in 2013 and 2015 and covered the history of the... court from its establishment until 1909. Volume 3 covers the history of the Court in the 20th century, from 1909-1953. Like its predecessors, this book is both a historical work and a compilation of the Court's principal judgments. The introductory part of the book is a historical narrative, which explores the historical evolution of Maori land law in its historical and international context. The remaining part of the book is a comprehensive collection of leading judgments of the Native/Maori Land Court and of its appellate body, the Native/Maori Appellate Court. Each judgment is preceded by a full casenote which explains the case, its context, and its legal and historical importance. The period covered by this book saw many significant new developments in the field of Maori land law. These new developments included the Maori land development programme pioneered by Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata and many changes to the law relating to the succession (whether by will or intestacy) of interests in Maori freehold land. Also important were changes relating to Maori legal interests in the foreshore and seabed, river beds, and lakes. These changes are reflected in the cases that have been selected for inclusion in this volume. These decisions include the decisions relating to Lake Waikaremoana, Lake Omapere, and the Whanganui River. The volume also collects together numerous decisions relating to wills and intestacies, reflecting the importance of this part of the Court's jurisdiction in the twentieth century. As with earlier volumes, cases have been selected for inclusion both because they are legally and historically important but because they illustrate the practical workings of the Court and
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The Native Land Court 1862-1887: A Historical Study, Cases and Commentary is the first ever authoritative published selection of the Native Land Court's principal decisions. It contains a full introduction explaining the history of the Court and contains over 100 principal cases ...each of which include full text and introductory commentary explaining the case and its significance. It includes cases from all over the country, ranging from the Houhora peninsula in the far North to Ruapuke Island in Fouveaux Strait, and includes such key decisions as the Oakura decision of the Compensation Court, the notorious Heretaunga block in Hawke's Bay, the Chatham Islands cases, and cases relating to the gift of the peaks of what is now Tongariro National Park. It will be of interest to iwi, legal practitioners, and historians and an indispensable reference tool for future work relating to the Native Land Court.
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