Judge says there’s merit in Crown argument on water declaration

Ngāi Tahu’s senior lawyer, Chris Finlayson, led a High Court case against the Crown over water management, arguing for court declarations to strengthen the iwi’s settlement terms. The focus was on the wording of Declaration C, which aimed to recognize Ngāi Tahu’s rights over freshwater within its territory, despite Crown concerns over the open-ended nature of the declaration. The case drew on international legal precedents, with Finlayson emphasizing the importance of negotiations and clarity in defining legal rights and duties for indigenous parties and the Crown.

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