News Item

February 2016

VUW Symposium and Public Lecture - Interpreting the Treaty of Waitangi over 175 years

15 FEBRUARY 2016, VUW WELLINGTON

“Interpreting the Treaty over 175 years” symposium will take a scholarly look at the various legal, historical, political, philosophical and policy dimensions of “interpreting the Treaty” through time. 2015 was the 175th anniversary of the Treaty texts, so it is now timely to reflect on how they and the relations they evidence have been interpreted across time from 1840.

Academics and researchers from New Zealand and Australia, with an interest in the Treaty of Waitangi or indigenous people issues more broadly, have been invited to the symposium being supported by New Zealand Centre for Public Law.

The Law Foundation is providing funding to bring three speakers to the symposium:

  • Professor John Borrows – Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law, University of Victoria Law School, British Columbia
  • Professor Bain Attwood – School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies, Monash University
  • Associate Professor Jacinta Ruru – Faculty of Law, University of Otago.

Professor John Borrows is also presenting a public lecture at VUW, 5.30pm 11 Feb, titled Learning from the Land: Indigenous Legal Education in Context.

NZ Law Foundation has awarded up to $11,180 towards funding this symposium.