At the Wellington District Court on 10 March 2026, charges of intentional damage and obstructing police against the protester who defaced Te Papa’s Treaty of Waitangi exhibit in 2023 were dismissed.
The Crown Solicitor decided that, in spite of there being sufficient evidence to prove the charges, proceeding with the case was not in the public interest, and he requested the charges be withdrawn under section 146 of the Criminal Proceedings Act 2011.
Judge Noel Sainsbury, however, noting that ‘withdrawal’ left the door open for a further attempt at prosecution at a later stage, determined that a more permanent end to the matter was required, and he dismissed the charges under section 147 of the Act.
The law breaking had occurred just before lunch on December 11, 2023, when a group of Te Waka Hourua protesters disguised as workers wearing hi-vis vests and hard hats entered Te Papa and proceeded to the “Signs of a Nation” exhibition, with its floor-to-ceiling display of the English text of the Treaty.
One of the group abseiled from the roof of the museum and, using an angle grinder and spray paint, defaced the exhibit, destroying most of the words to leave only, in Article 2, “Her Majesty the Queen of England is the alien”, and in Article 3, “ration the Queens veges”.
Police were called and 12 people were arrested.
The 29-year-old abseiler, Te Wehi Heketoro Ratana, was charged with intentional damage, obstructing police, and a breach of bail. He was remanded in custody.
A 53-year-old woman, Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn, was charged with intentional damage – later reclassified as graffiti vandalism.
And a 46-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were both charged with a breach of bail.
Eight others were arrested for trespass and escorted outside the building. They were released without charge.
This was not their first attempt to remove the installation. The display – part of the Museum’s permanent collection since opening in February 1998 – was targeted in 2021 when Te Waka Hourua held protests at the museum and Parliament demanding it be taken down. They claimed the exhibit misled visitors by implying it was a translation of the Maori‑language Treaty, which they allege affirms Maori sovereignty, while the English text asserts sovereignty was ceded to the Crown.
In September 2025, almost two years after the incident, the woman charged with graffiti vandalism was convicted and ordered to pay $1,500 in reparations to Te Papa.
What appeared to be an open‑and‑shut case against Te Wehi Ratana was set down for a jury trial on 30 March 2026. The potential penalties were significant: intentional damage can carry anything from a small fine to up to seven years’ imprisonment, while obstructing a police officer carries a maximum of three years’ jail and a $2,000 fine.
Then, as the trial approached, everything changed when a “statement of tikanga” (Maori custom) was submitted as expert evidence by the defendant’s uncle, former Maori Party co‑leader Te Ururoa Flavell, framing the protest, not as vandalism, but as a culturally justified response to institutional misinformation.
The end result was that Flavell’s nephew – the principal offender who actually did the damage – walked away without consequences, while a minor participant was convicted and fined!
The case not only demonstrated that the Crown was unwilling to put tikanga on trial, but it also highlights how the growing use of tikanga in the legal system is distorting outcomes and undermining the principle of equal justice.
In fact, when cultural assertions are used to override clear evidence and established legal standards, the Rule of Law itself is being undermined, eroding public confidence in the justice system.
The inclusion of tikanga in the 2011 Marine and Coastal Area Act is another example of how it is damaging the law.
In that case, by interpreting the legislation through the lens of tikanga, Judges allowed cultural considerations to over-ride the common law property rights tests that had been included in the law to restrict Customary Marine Title awards to the coast.
By overwhelmingly favouring claimants, their judgements irrevocably distorted the claims process. Instead of only applications in remote parts of the coast succeeding – as intended by Parliament – the entire coastline of New Zealand appeared likely to fall into tribal hands.
As a result, the Coalition Government stepped in to raise the bar and strengthen the tests, through an amendment that was passed into law late last year.
A decision in the first of the cases to be retried under the new law – a Customary Marine Title claim for parts of Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Straight – was released last month by Justice Churchman.
What it shows, however, is that with tikanga considerations still dominating the analysis, outcomes will continue to favour claimants.
At the heart of the amended law is a property rights test asking whether claimants have had exclusive use and occupation of their specified area from 1840 to the present day without substantial interruption.
The Churchman judgment explained the new requirements in the strengthened ‘exclusive use and occupation’ test: “This test will only be met if the applicant group or its members had both the intention and the ability to control the area to the exclusion of others…” And, “I may not draw any inference… based on a spiritual or cultural association… unless that association is manifested in a physical activity…”
While on the face of it the judgement appears to rule out any reliance on tikanga, the analysis shows that tikanga‑based evidence is accepted as proof of the statutory requirements: “I accept the evidence… that they have continuously exercised kaitiakitanga by both the application of tikanga principles to the conservation of the marine resources and the utilisation of various statutory provisions to control access…”
In other words, both kaitiakitanga and tikanga principles are treated as evidence of the group’s intention and ability to control the area — in spite of Parliament ruling out cultural considerations.
This same pattern continues throughout the analysis, including with regards to the key test of “exclusivity”, which is whether or not outsiders have used the area.
While the Judge acknowledges “there is no doubt that some commercial and non‑commercial fishing has taken place in the specified area”, he nevertheless concludes that “the applicant group has exclusively used and occupied the specified area since 1840.”
That conclusion cannot be reached using the ordinary meaning of “exclusive use”, which requires others to have been excluded. It is only possible if exclusivity is being interpreted through the tikanga concept of shared authority.
In other words, tikanga is still being used as the evidential framework through which the common law test of ‘exclusive use and occupation without substantial interruption’ is being met.
That means the success of the Ruapuke Island claim was not necessarily because the evidence met the standard Parliament thought it had set, but because the court has continued to interpret the standard through a tikanga lens that lowers the Customary Marine Title threshold.
If this approach continues – and there is no sign it will not – a pro-Maori judiciary will continue down their path of granting opportunistic tribal claimants title and control over vast areas of New Zealand’s coastline, despite the Coalition’s attempt to prevent them from doing so.
As a result, one thing is now unmistakably clear: Unless Parliament intervenes again, activist judges will continue to use tikanga to override statutory law and reshape outcomes in ways Parliament never intended. And that’s why the only solution is to repeal the Marine and Coastal Area Act and restore the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act.
This is the same pattern that’s on display in the Ratana prosecution: tikanga is being used not as cultural context but as a quasi‑legal override. It softens criminal accountability, reshapes statutory tests, and produces outcomes that Parliament did not intend. The judiciary and legal academics advancing this agenda are not merely interpreting the law – they are transforming it. And they are doing so without any form of democratic mandate.
This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator, Queensland University Law Professor James Allan – formerly of Otago University – explains how it is no longer uncommon for judges to attempt to seize power without democratic mandate:
“Over last 30 or 40 years judges across the common law anglosphere world have become ever more willing to overrule the democratically elected branches of government. Call this a raw usurpation of power. Or call it judicial activism on steroids. The fact is that a hefty chunk of the top judges plucked from its members have adopted unconstrained and laughably implausible interpretive techniques. It’s bad in Australia, yes. But it’s worse in New Zealand. Worse again in Britain. Worse still in Canada. The US, oddly, has always had uber-powerful judges but of late has gone through a counter-cyclical period of relative judicial restraint. And then there is Israel’s top court. They are in a solar system – or more accurately a galaxy – of their own.
“The Israeli judiciary has gradually, over time, simply given itself this power to strike down the statutes of the elected legislature. There was no referendum giving it to it. There was no statute passed with a supermajority doing so. There was not even a statute garnering a bare majority of legislators bringing this massive change to the country’s rule of recognition into being. Nope, this was a judicial creation through and through.”
This is exactly what is happening in New Zealand. The embracing of tikanga is part of an attempt by the judiciary to re-write the laws of Parliament on their own terms.
But a legal system that delivers different outcomes based on ancestry, is not a system governed by the rule of law – it is a system governed by judicial preference.
Such a trajectory is constitutionally intolerable. If the rule of law is to mean anything in New Zealand, this parallel tikanga‑based jurisprudence must be confronted and dismantled before it becomes further entrenched.
The Coalition’s failure to address this critical problem – that they know exists – is inexcusable.
The judiciary has made it clear that expanding the reach of tikanga will continue – unless the law is rewritten in terms that leave no room for reinterpretation.
That’s why Parliament must act decisively to restore the rule of law, protect equal citizenship, and ensure that the courts apply the legislation intended by our democratically elected Parliament.
If New Zealand is to remain a country governed by one law for all, the following steps should be taken:
All open‑ended references to tikanga in our statutes must be removed or rewritten.
The Interpretation Act must be amended to prevent tikanga – a cultural doctrine that Parliament never authorised – being used as a default interpretive tool.
The Evidence Act should be amended to guarantee all defendants are held to the same legal standard, by preventing tikanga from being used as expert evidence to soften criminal liability and influence prosecution decisions.
And the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act should be strengthened to affirm equal citizenship and prohibit differential legal treatment based on race or ancestry.
Furthermore, to prevent control of New Zealand’s coastline from falling into private tribal hands, the Marine and Coastal Area Act must be repealed in the national interest, so the coast can once again be held by the Crown for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
This country has already journeyed too far down the racial divide. If tikanga continues to operate as an unofficial parallel legal system the principle of one law for all will not survive.
A justice system that delivers different outcomes based on ancestry cannot command public confidence, and a Parliament whose laws can be rewritten by judicial preference cannot claim to be sovereign.
If the rule of law is to mean anything in this country, the creeping judicial elevation of tikanga must be dismantled. The integrity of our legal order, and the equality of every New Zealander before the law, depends on it.
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THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:
*Should the trial of the protester who defaced Te Papa’s Treaty of Waitangi exhibit have been dismissed, or gone ahead?
*Poll comments are posted below.
*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.
THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS
| One law for all New Zealanders, not a cultural belief dressed up as law being applied to certain minorities based on ancestry | John |
| The test, is that if white people had misbehaved in this manner and would have been prosecuted, then in this case it definitely was in the public interest to proceed. Tikanga has no place in any of our courts of law. The overall aim of their game is to entrench all sorts of false claims for special treatment, especially when the New Zealand public can be coned out off tens of millions of dollars for the sly elite activist groups that claim to be Maori, even when it’s difficult for them to explain their majority of external DNA. These false payments do add a significant financial cost to the nation’s general public bills. This causes domestic higher prices on our basic food items, on our power, council rates and even huge extra costs to come with the new potable water supply regime that our wonderful Government is to impose upon us all. Starting with the Wellinton area. All this is nothing more than a Jizya thrusted upon us common people as individual citizens. Some how we need to fight it off. The public need to know why their individual costs are infected by fraudulent funding of false claims. This has got to STOP. | Garry |
| A trial is the place to find the truth and that is fair to everyone. | Beverley |
| This incident was covered up. by lying lefty, main stream media. If this had been carried out by some other group, we would never have heard the end of it! Lying main stream media… still controlled by left wing propaganda!! | David |
| we ALL live under the same laws colour has No right to be classed as abive the law | Margaret |
| It amounts to a travesty of justice against the people of New Zealand, and should have political intervention to correct this heniuos act against society. | Jeff |
| When does the civil war start? | paul |
| It was behavioral thuggery. We need to have a careful look at the roots at Tikatanga (Maori Custom) Once upon a time it embraced the rights to slavery, cannibalism, very serious false attitudes. The courts are believing serious stuff. | Maurice |
| Why waste tax payer’s money on a slap on the wrist | Julian |
| Our judges as failing the good people of NZ for whom they accepted the position to administer Parliaments laws. Bloody radicals, not judges | Jeremy |
| Who is the crown solicitor? He needs to be dismissed for incompetence | tony |
| It’s time that all this nonsense stopped or there will be nothing left to protect for future generations. | Alastair |
| Damage to public property. | Denis |
| We need some process to Judge the Judges. | Percy |
| These activists broke the law straight and no argument, The Judicial Activism is blatantly disregarding the rule of Law to use Tikanga as their Law lenses, disgraceful | John |
| anyone else would have gone to trial and it is very much in the public interest | Neville |
| a total disgrace, should be one rule for all, not selective based on race | Erin |
| He broke the law so why not ? Definitely should have gone ahead. | David |
| This was a shocking decision with significant consequences for our laws and natural justice. I have messaged the Minister to express my concern and disappointment. | John |
| This is a no-brainer. Tikanga is mythical, Maori BS. | Keith |
| One law for all | Jerry |
| The system gives us no favours – Why should they get special privileges in Law? | Frederick |
| Of course | Stephen |
| Have had a guts full of this nonsense. | Faye |
| Outrageous. Can the judiciary members be sacked? | Monica |
| THE TREATY HAS BEEN REPUDIATED. iT NO LONGER HAS EFFECT.ALL LAWS PERTAINING TO IT ARE VOIDED.THOSE FLYING MAORI FLAGS ARE NON CITIZENS | BRUCE |
| He should have defaced both versions | Sharon |
| Absolutely, this is the judiciary taking over our democratic rights by stealth. | Jeff |
| Once again, one rule for all as equals..no sub clauses. | Anne |
| When justice becomes preferential, based on race, religion or mysticism it is no longer justice and the rule of law has been corrupted. | Sam |
| Give them an inch they’ll take a mile. | Peter K |
| Wasn’t it caught on film. Obviously guilty. | Susan |
| ANARCHY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO CREEP INTO OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM! ALL MAORI REFERENCES IN OUR LAWS MUST BE REMOVED, THERE WILL NEVER BE HARMONY IF THE LAWS ARE NOT CHANGED! | Valerie |
| Sadly the New Zealand judiciary divide the population into 2 groups – those that claim to have some Maori ancestry and those that don’t. They then apply the law differently to each group. Imagine had someone of the non-Maori group (ie. an average Kiwi) defaced a Maori version of the treaty (or anything else for that matter) as a protest to the preferential treatment given by the courts to the partly Maori group, what would the outcome be. Without doubt it would involve a substantial fine and most likely some jail time. The coalition government has failed totally to keep its election campaign commitment to address this festering issue. Sadly New Zealand is now well down the path to the third world. | Kevin |
| It’s time we had a movement to introduce Switzerland’s binding referenda system for all major political decisions. | David |
| I will never visit Te Papa again and I live literally next door. My last visit was so disappointing because the exhibition was labelled in Maori with English as an after thought. My overseas visitors were so disappointed as they really struggled. | Paul |
| Vandalism is vandalism. | Ross |
| Woke judiciary is destroying the fabric of a once equal in the eye of the law NZ society. | Hugh |
| iT IS tIME THE JUDGES NEED TO BE REMINDED ONE LAW FOR ALL NOT THIS RACE BASED AGENDA | LEO |
| God help us! | Pamela |
| Another amazing breach of the rights for everyone, not just Maori ? | garfield |
| Absolutely appalling by the Jdge. “not in the public interest,” This was about the most important written document in the history of this landed on dislay in a national museum! | Mark |
| the dismissal on the basis (it seems) of cultural superiority above the law, makes a nonsense of the law. Moreover the judgement seems to reflect a preference in favour of people who identify as ‘maori’ to simply accept at face value whatever their espoused ‘culture’ is at any point in time Tikanga is a fluid concept ehioch shapes itself to any form favoured by its advocates in order to avoid accountability under the law for offences which otherwise result in convections. Article 3 of the TOW made maori citizens of the Crown, with all its attendant rights and responsibilities. not superior, nor supreme, nor special – the same | Baden |
| The New Zealand Judiciary is not the only law and order public service body in this world that puts up the one digit finger to the publicly elected government. This is not only a blatant insult to the Government, but is also an insidious insult for all the citizens and visitors as well. It appears that the English, Canadian, Australian and the Israeli Judiciaries look to be doing the same. It seems a common thread of this belligerent behavour has been born out of some international Judiciary conference based upon leftish political motivations. The recalcitrant activist judges are surreptitiously getting together to introduce such disruptive connivance to be put into practice whenever the opportunity present’s itself. Freely elected Governments need to take firm control of the country’s Bureaucracies and to have a pathway to the Judiciary to enable an order from parliament to correct a judgement that is plainly fraudulent in that it is not following the plain intent of the Government’s legitimate laws. There should be some penalty for judge’s who have been found to be out of order. | garry |
| Justice means everyone has equal rights for ALL….. NO SPECIAL CLAUSES FOR PRIVELIGE RACES!! | David |
| Two Tier judicial system. NZ is in big trouble when Judges can over rule Parliament Law whenever it suits them. One law for all. Disgusted. | Stephen |
| It was criminal damage at it’s very best.The English version of the Treaty was written first otherwise there was nothing to translate into Maori,this is common sense.If the English version wasn’t of great importance then the radical Maori would not have damaged it.It should be repaired and put back on show as the original written Treaty text. | Peter |
| It is a crime, | Chris |
| Lock him up | Gordon |
| If I defaced the Maori version I would likely be in jail or C and F thousands.! Stop this creeping nonsense .!! | Bev |
| Disgraceful decision making it clear the law is not evenly applied to all irrespective of race. Was this the Crown solicitor’s final finger to all law abiding hard working NZers. | John |
| I’m so frustrated that the rule of law can be bent to the support of people who have no inclination toward a true ONE NZ!! for all | Stewart |
| Disgraceful | Mark |
| Absolutely, One people, one law, one country, NEW ZEALAND. You don’t like it pack up and get out, we don’t like law breakers so you break the law you pay the price, no matter who you are. | COLIN |
| A big RESET is needed in NZ to get us back on track, but we are being left in a position of not being able to trust ANY Government because they all give in to maori pressure. | Greg |
| The law applies equally to all! | Ray |
| he wilfully intended to destroy a museum display and stand up to police | Noel |
| Storm in a teacup, don’t waste any more taxpayer money | Paul |
| It was vandalism not a protest | Rae |
| The Treaty meaning should be clearly identified and then the almost 200 year old document should be filed away. | Ken |
| It is an act of vandalism pure and simple | Alan |
| Vandalism of exhibits in NZs important museum must be strongly discouraged and punished. | Bruce |
| Gone ahead of course. All non maori would have been prosecuted in full. There are 2 seperate systems in NZ. Maori can go to their marae and basically get off scot free even very serious crimes that would see jail time under normal circumstances. Our country no longer is the norm. Maori elete and radicals are running this country. NZ is no longer a country by definition. Maori are now dictators of NZ. Our sovereign govt is no more……… | Kevan |
| Power hungry judges bypassing government rule | Raphael |
| One law, one people, or anarchy. | Peter |
| Obviously they should have been tried on the basis of our nation’s actual written law> they should not have been allowed to avoid the law on the basis of the opinion of a judge with a softness for tikanga which is not a proper way to judge fairly. | Ray |
| OMG!!! When is this b/s going to stop. Unbelievable. I sense the influence of the weak woke National party, yes the liars that said they would stop all this maori crap, are behind this decision. Time the two main parties were voted out. If that was an ordinary citizen they would have the book thrown at them. Shame on Flavel for protecting his kin . Just watch and see how this will be used in the future. | Peter |
| Gutless decision. Uphold the law or get out. | Michael |
| he got off on something he should have gone to Jail for – if it had been a white man desecrating the Maori Treaty, wonder what would he have got ?? | Jill |
| He’s guilty of the crime yet allowed to not face the charges due to a soft judge | Jim |
| Why hasn’t the National government stepped in and represented the majorities wishes? | Rex |
| Unfortunatetely, if it had gone ahead the outcome may not have been any different. Personal responcibility and acountability for some peoples actions is simply a gay abandonment. | Brett |
| One law for all No exemptions for believers of mythology i.e Tikanga | Jenny |
| The government must deal to this Maori he pua pua threat | Chris |
| I’m gobsmacked it didn’t go ahead. Parliament makes the rules, the judiciary should uphold them. Instead, they re tweaking nd twisting to suit their own agenda. They are a disgrace | Gail |
| Vandalism is vandalism. No justification for it. | Margaret |
| They broke the law and defaced public property; they should have been charged. If it were anyone else, they would have been charged. This is disgraceful behavour. | Gayle |
| Defacing English Common Law | Thomas |
| This is absolutely outrageous. By allowing them to get away without penalty, it will encourage others to do the same thing This is a racist judgment. | Dianne |
| The people of this country yearn to be free of the Maori BS, especially tikanga and what that means | Derek |
| One law for all | John |
| It’s high time this mumbo-jumbo was removed from NZ law. When someone, anyone it seems, can claim a defence based on something he/she defines as whatever is best suited to their defence, it’s time to regroup and regain contact with reality. | TOBY |
| One law for all. | Philip |
| Our Parliament is charged with creating our laws after due consideration. Our Judiciary is charged with applying our Parliaments laws, not bending them. GRRR! | Ian |
| One law for all. But more importantly, National said that it would stamp out Co-Governance where all this started. Now they jhave gone right back on their word. So who is running NZ?? | John |
| Having an uncle with influence is not making a difference before the law. The protester’s act must be punished. | Peter |
| So the rule of law no longer matters? What will replace it? Lawlessness breeds lawlessness ! The floodgates will open and a deluge of anarchy and racist filth will flow into our communities . We have been deceived and denied by our leaders-the great gutless wonders. Why wont NZ1ST & ACT stand up to Cluckson ,if they wont do it before the election I for 1 dont believe it will ever happen. Unless– NZ needs strong leadership NOW ! A new party with guts & determination. Life is challenging enough without spinless idiots being in control . And in the words of John Wayne. “Life is tough, but its tougher when your stupid”. Wise up NZ b4 its 2 late. | Glyn J |
| pity the general public dont realize that this country’s Judiciary is corrupt to the core and to see European people wearing a so call green stone around their neck wants me to vomit, with all the extra benefits the horrie get, like not getting jail time for damaging property as its no use saying pay a fine instead as the poor old tax payer would have to fork out as the horrie would plead poverty meanwhile the bastard would be living in a tax payer house plus all perks from wins tax free, this system needs to be stopped NOW but luxon and his arse licking mates will do b****r all, so corruption gets stronger every day, im suprised adern is in Australia and not back here to get her back handers, mind shes so crafty that she will screw the Aussie’s then head back to the usa and slide up trumps rear end. | Richard |
| He wilfully damaged Public Property and like everyone else should be held fully accountable | Margaret |
| We must have one law for all NZ citizens. There is no place for racial divide. There is no proof of Maori bloodlines, it is a farce. | David |
| The law should be the same for every New Zealander. Race should have no part in it. | Mary |
| Of course they should have been charged. However, so many New Zealanders seem to believe we owe Maori everything what good is it having these polls when no-body in Government wants to know about them. When it is too late those with their head in sand will blame the government but they along with compliant MSM are just as much to blame for not standing up like we are to try to ensure there is one law for all. The Maori who landed on the Poor Knights Island and put up a flag pole were never brought to justice – wonder how non Maori who did this would have been treated. | Bev |
| Because it caused attention towards division it’s almost like they’re not aware of the outcome that would upset the democracy within New Zealand. They hopes for a positive education with what should be taught in schooling Higher education and Museums about what the treaty is in place for all New Zealanders. Iv not seen what happened to the Museum but its clearly a message for Christopher Luxton to include all New Zealanders in educational institutions to learn about the importance of the true History that New Zealand was forged on by those who came to rebuild living here once New Zealand was established after the treaty was signed 1840 and what it means now to have a good relationship with The Royal family King and Queen of England its importance to preserve democracy for all New Zealanders. And grateful The Treaty of Waitangi an Explanation by Sir Apirana Ngata and Governor Hobson. And those who built a Government to protect and serve up hold the Laws that are put in place for all. | Kylie |
| This nonsense has to STOP!! | |
| An act of vandalism should be punished in a Court of Law, regardless of Race, Creed, or Religion | John |
| If a ” pakeha” had defamed the Maori language Treaty display, the vandal would almost certainly have been jailed ( or clubbed to death and eaten. That’s probably acceptable under tikanga). | Alastair |
| Walk into a Marae with a chainsaw?? | Keith |
| Absolutely it should have gone ahead. One law for all without bias or culture interference. We are all New Zealanders and under one law for all. No exceptions. | Helen |
| This was definately not right for the Judge to dismiss as most on bail | Ian |
| dismiss corrupt judges | Gordon |
| Nail them | Gordon |
| One law for ALL New Zealanders | Roger |
| Disgraceful lace of Justice. | Caren |
| Ask yourself-if the defacing had been done by pakeha, would the trIal have been dismissed? | Malcolm |
| Absolutely!! | Janine |
| One law for all | Gary |
| EVERYONE EMAIL THE GOVT & REMIND THEM OF THEIR BROKEN PROMISES LAST ELECTION & WHERE IS THE LAW THAT MAKES EVERYONE EQUAL & WHY IS MAORI TIKATANE BEEN INCLUDED IN ALL POLICIES & LOCAL GOVTS ABLE TO SPEND TAX PAYERS MONEY ON BULLSHIT MAORI THINGS LIKE MUSIC TO TREES ETC. | Cindy |
| EVERYONE NEEDS to make it VERY PLAIN in this election the govt. NEEDS to KEEP THEIR PROMISES from the last election & make a law that includes EVERYONE & REMOVE TIKITANA from ALL BOOKS/POLICIES they promised to do LAT ELECTION they better do it now NZ IS FOR EVERYONE TO BE EQUAL,so ACT GOVT. & REMIND THEM OF THEIR LAST ELECTION PROMISES. | Cindy |
| Where, otherwise, is the rule of law? This is not TRUMP country where the rule of law can be gerrymanded, surely. | John |
| If it had been the Maori version of the Treaty that had been defaced by a non-Maori, the culprit would have gone to Jail or been fined! Disgusting decision on the part of the activist Judge in this case. | Mary |
| This govt has lost its way.. this is a Travis of justice, if it where you or I we would be jailed. | Rex |
| How can it be OK to break the law for Maori but not allow others to? | Mark |
| National under Luxon has allowed all this Maori privilege to go uncontested and come election time this will cost them votes and for me i am sick and tired of their lake of courage and will not be voting National. | Ken |
| Surely the rule of LAW must be upheld | Peter |
| Take all the cultural fluff out of the issue and you are left with the willful vandalism of property belonging to the people of new zealand, by a criminal on bail. | Willy |
| Surely there must be a piece of legislation that allows the general public to register a complaint against a judge. I seem to recall there is an establishment in Auckland that enables this. There are public servants, aren’t they, after all? | Martyn |
| Parliament, not woke judiciary should be paramount when deciding such matters | George |
| It was treason, and should be held to account. | Rod |
| Continuing double standards! | Alastair |
| Thanks to the weak prosecutor and court, I guessume as soon as a criminal gets to court all the criminal needs to do is invoke stone age mumbo-jumbo and is excused. Why do universities in New Zealand even have law schools.. | Hugh |
| OMG .The judiciary have much to be done to ensure effectial ,fair and impartial ,as per recent damaging the treaty display and the disgusting dismissal of any charges ,Sadly pretty much expected in our woke and maori biased country . Whats next ??? children who get battered and killed by maori will escape any true justice as per the baby Ru miscarriage of justice . When scum like Adern cant stomach misguided and biased standards that she introduced during her reign of terror . Lets invite Donald J Trump here to sort out our future . | Ray |
| Rule of law should apply to paru Hua brown supremacist part-Maori, same as everyone else. | Peter |
| what has happened to our judicial system- is it back handers? Its certainly not delivering justice and needs to be investigated. | Jane |
| one law for all | SHERYL |
| Terrible abuse of our justice system and bias by the judge. Left leaning judge perhaps. | Rosemary |
| Quite clearly, only some of us are to be held accountable before the law. Those of a certain birthright are untouchable. | Geoff |
| Un excusable | Peter |
| Sick of this BS | Alan |
| The justice system has been hijacked | Claire |
| They broke the law – plain and simple. Are some above the law then ???? | Andrew |
| Maori tikanga should be abolished through the court system. | Anthony |
| This activist was caught red-handed in the act of the defacing the treaty. He should be prosecuted in jail and made to pay the cost of repairing it. If this person was a pakeha or European, he would he would already be in jail. | John |
| The use of tikanga is a disgusting way for the judiciary to make up their own laws.Our country will become intolerable to live in if those who offend get off because of this tikanga which seems to mean whatever the judges or tribes want it to mean on the day.Until it is totally gone from any law decisions we will become a more and more lawless country. Come on Mr Luxon do your job.You were voted in to end this nonsense. | Gail |
| the sole role of a Judge is to review the case in respect of the Law. After Judgement Sentencing can be crafted to take into account any damaging social collateral impact. It is NOT the judicial role of a prosecutor or Judge to prejudge the potential political of social impact and effect dismissal before a hearing and judgement. Political pressure can be legally effected by Parliament directing its will through the passing of law, any other political pressure that seeks to influence the Judiciary is unlawful and effectively a treason. Judges who respond to outside pressure are in breach of their sworn duty. What is needed is a standing Committee within parliament comprising Cabinet Ministers with power to instruct any Minister to suspend or terminate any person holding office , position or tenure where the Committee believes the office holder was in breach of their terms of office. Tikanga needs to be declared by Parliament to be an individual undefined cultural belief havinf specific individual belief for the holder but NO Legal meaning Nor legal standing of any kind and NOT to be used or applied in any form of lawful, legal or administrative determination. | Richard |
| If that was me (I am European) I would have been sent to jail -it is about time this tikanga bullshit is put where it belongs – in the garbage bin | Les W |
| Not in the public interest? Ridiculous. | John |
| The activist judges need to be put on trial as well! This country is becoming more and more like China during the Warlord Era of the 20’s and 30’s every day. Do activist maori groups have the ability to tangibly threaten some MP’s and members of the judiciary, or are these people irretrievably woke? Whichever way you look at it, the Law as we know it, is fast becoming an object of ridicule if guilt is determined by race, rather than by criminal action. This corrupt practice cannot be allowed to continue any further! | Scott |
| Surely! | Bruce |
| This person committed a crime and therefore his trail should have gone ahead. Sick to deaf on hearing about their cultural crap. | Colleen |
| No one is above the law. The scales of justice must not be tilted by any sort of metaphorical finger and that includes tikanga or culture. | Mark |
| Really disgusted. If govt won’t turf out these activist judges, who will? | Kay |
| Perhaps we need to take the kaw into our own hands . That’s what will happen if this traitorism goes on much longer. | Harvey |
| Certain activists are attempting to divide the nation, based on racial proclivities. It seems that many New Zealanders do not understand or do not want to understand that democracy in this country is absolutely under threat. The Coast and Marine act was passed for all New Zealanders to enjoy. This government is going to lose the next election because they are backing down on various important pledges made to the electorate before the last general election. I am thinking specifically at the moment of the proposal for shared control of water which was not ever to be under Maori control once the iniquitous three waters from Nanaia Mahuta proposal was thrown out. Now it is back in a new disguise, backed by my own MP Simon Watts, to my disgust. The opposition doesn’t need to win the next selection as the current coalition is actively losing it | Pauline |
| I thought the new covenant was going to deal with mythology joining ther foundational laws of NZ. But no it is more of the same as our law begins to float on hearsay evidence and mythology. It would seem them corruption has gone right to the top of our legal system, with Joe Williams ex waitangi tribunial head introducing it. The other judges seem totally deceived. | Dene |
| The actions of the Crown Solicitor and the judge not to prosecute this case are as unbelievable as the criminal act itself. | Alister |
| The law applies to all without fear or favour. Judges are not law makers, those that believe otherwise must be dismissed. | Johanna |
| One law for all | Geoff |
| Who are the Courts working for . The law was broken. Why is their one law for law abiding citizens and another for the other people (Maori) TIKANGA. It’s an absolute joke . When will it ever end !!! | Rob |
| The law means nothing now if you can claim the “right” ethnicity | Frank |
| We lurch between elected dictatorships with barely a nod to democracy. We are relentlessly punished for the alleged failures of long dead ancestors by peers who claim familial hurt and outrage from the same dead ancestors. Their reincarnated predatory culture needs to be rejected by the courts. | Peter |
| One law for all!!!!! | Greg |
| A Disgraceful outcome! | Olwyn |
| What was done was illegal and should be tried and punishment applied. | Carol |
| There should be “Equal law for one and all” otherwise society is gradually being socially and racially divided – it would seem – by intention!! | Stuart |
| There is absolutely no reasonable justification for other than all eligible voters ONLY having a legitimate vote and all others being excluded. | Jim |
| Democracy must be protected at all times. | Richard |
| same treatment for all | Gerhard |
| It staggers belief that this person & others can break the law without consequence. A two tier legal system is not democracy it’s lunacy | Glen |
| The treaty gave us all equal rights and equal responsibility. But now the 1990’s cry of “The Treaty is a fraud” is even more true, but in a complete reversal of the 1990’s intent. | Donald |
| just goes to show how the judiciary are totally in thrall to the “Tiriti” nonsense, disregarding the law of the land.. And of course the Govt just rolling over | Geoffrey |
| No question about it……. | john |
| because he has Maori heritage and claims some bullshit tikana he should have been tried in the court as any pakeha would have | John |
| Without question, enough is enough, this Tikanga ruse must be quarterised and completely destroyed before it destroys New Zealand. | Neville |
| This is unbelievable to me! To be ‘caught in the act’ of intentionally committing a crime, then to walk free? ENOUGH! | |
| This country is supposed to be a modern, civilized and egalitarian democracy. Reverting our society back to Tikanga atavism will never serve the best interests of New Zealand citizens. | Eileen |
| get away from tikanga, one law for ALL. | Gerard |
| Civil war is on the horizon unless this Maori apartheid is stopped | Derek |
| That entitled idiot should have been slung in the Hinaki for a fairly long spell/ | sam |
| Shameful, the attorney general should not have interfered with the case in the first place. What this means that if someone who has no maori affiliations defaces an exhibit in Te Papa they will be prosecuted, however as we have seen, the get out jail Tikanga can be used time and time again, with impunity | rutger |
| Rediculus | Guy |
| If the Law is NOT applied then the result is Kaos, Our Legal System was founded on English Common Law and the Magna Carta. If there is no responsibilty for unlawful Actions then People will do anything they like at any Time and then Society disintergrates !! | geoff |
| One law for all, activist judges should be sacked | Laurie |
| Justice should be colour blind. | Kent |
| Sickening! Where are the politicians elected to deal with this nonsense??? | Anthony |
| I sense a revolution on the horizon if this rubbish goes ahead | Vaughan |
| We have a library in Blenheim that is not a library but by definition a Maori library. What would happen to me if I were to paint over the Maori words and put in its place Library. I am sure that I would be seriously dealt with and with a hefty fine. Do I have the ability to use my colonial tikanga should I do this. Throw the book at them and get the courts to uphold the law. I also see we are back to three waters again this government are no better than labour. | Andrew |
| Juatice must be done and SEEN to be done! | Donna |
| Makes me very angry…surely I would be arrested and prosecuted if I went on to a marae and defaced/vandalised some of their property? Where is the respect for others? | Brian |
| It’s a no brainer | Julian |
| I grew up under real apartheid in South Africa. These white, woke Maori activists yearning, for a return to utu and te Rauparaha’s savagery, have absolutely no idea of the meaning of apartheid | David |
| Otherwise the whole judicial system is being based on Hokus pokus!! | Karen |
| Could you believe the outrage if a Maori item was defaced The so called justice system is a total spineless disgrace | Tony |
| This crap has gone too far. | john |
| One law for all N Z ers! | Alan |
| Evidence abounds. | fred |
| The judiciary are corrupt. | Liz |
| He is an activist and clearly out to try and force their Maori beliefs onto visitors at The Papa museum. | Chris |
| Everyone should be treated the same under the one law | Raymond |
| We are in very dangerous territory now. | ken |
| absolutely | tony |
| They broke the law and should have been convicted no matter who they are. One law for all. | Jill |
| Same law for all New Zealanders. | rose |
| It’s a travesty that this has been dismissed. And as a country we absolutely need to have a discussion around the use of Tikanga by the Judiciary. Whatever Tikanga means it’s got no place in the laws of our country. Laws need to be black and white and apply equally to all citizens, residents and visitors in this country. I wish Maori could divert all the energy they put into moaning, whinging and grifting and turn it into something positive. We can only move forward as a country if we all pull together. The Judiciary aren’t helping in this regard – all they’re doing with these ridiculous decisions is amplifying the division. | Dave |
| In the name of justice, the trial should have proceeded even if the outcome was soft | Peter |
| Why are we letting vandals get away with vandalism? They should be prosecuted and sentenced or fined. Stupid judges! | Sheila |
| One law for some groups and another law for a different group – apartheid | Yvonne |
| Absolutely | bruce |
| The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is not the plaything of activists, to desecrate at will. It is the museum for all New Zealanders. It is a disgrace to the legal system that this case was dismissed. | Neville |
| I believe in one law for all New Zealanders. There should not be exceptions based on ethnicity. | Lana |
| Any Judge that ignores the law as per the parliamentary process and wishes to take it upon themselves to deliberately misinterpret should resign or be fired. Maybe a referendum on this at the next elections. I do not work and pay taxes to have these trough suckers believing they can do what they like. | Mike |
| There is a lot of interest in this case. | heather |
| One law for all is needed in NZ. Laws should be written and interpreted entirely in the English language. | Mark |
| Preserve our original justice system | Bernie |
| It wasn’t a lawful decision. It was a racist decision. to dismiss it. | Brfyan |
| Tikanga has no place in our Laws. They were not included in the Treaty and therefore null and void. ONE LAW…. ONE PEOPLE! | Heather |
| It would have gone ahead if it been anyone other than a Maori ( who probably has as much European blood as Maori) Rank hypocrisy and racism from our Courts as expected now! | John (Hone) |
| This is typical Maori rubbish One rule for us no consequences for Maori | Ian |
| Successive spineless govt since 1975 has allowed Apartheid to become rife in NZ. We are all NZ citizens, Maori of which there are no true race but a crossbreed of many types of DNA identifying as maori and now deemed “indigenous” by the corrupt UN and John Keys secret sending of Peter Sharples to the UN need ALL special priveleges removed immediately. We are New Zealand a nation of many types of peoples. If those identifying as maori do not like that then they are welcome to get in a boat and row back to wherever the majority of their DNA says they are from! Usually this is Hawaiki. Even their own folklore says “when we die our soul departs these lands from where the two waters meet (Cape Reinga) to return for our ancestral home for all eternity” Therefore they are NOT indigenous are they?! | Juliet |
| Justice has not been done when it is selected by race. | Neil |
| One law for every citizen of this country | Allen |
| Works both ways | Richard |
| And ALL the miscreants in his company to be tried too. Getting so sick of mori abuse. They are NOT NOBLE SAVAGES…. rather ignoble instead. | Gill |
| He broke the law without any reasonable defense in doing so. It was intentional knowing full well of the possible consequences. The law being “the law” that Maori agreed to on the signing of the Treaty in 1840. As for the Judicial decision to dismiss the charge is a travesty in its self. II expect to see this being enacted again in the future by our more radical elements in our society. | chris |
| One rule for some and a lot of twisted bull shit for others Look at England Shari courts Have been allowed to be set up Next the 7 day Adventist Will want their way in the courts Are some of the legal paternity On magic mushrooms speed or chronic The biggest problem is possibly A lot of them feed of the public Tit and what basically smart people won’t tell the true for fair of offending half wits And half wits they are | Bruce |
| Obviously. | Jennifer |
| The Crown had no right to dismiss the trial, there was no true basis for their argument and it has set a mandate that future prosecutions as far as Tikanga is concerned will be dismissed | Malcolm |
| Imagine if had defaced a meeting house building as was done here. I’d be strung up on Nat tv news by my valuables. Next thing they’ll all be doing entitled stuff. | mike |
| No democracy at all Judges have swallowed the coolade Inch by inch we are being walked over. Our rights are dismissed | Linda |
| Definitely, how wrong | Graeme |
| This is giving a 2 fingered salute to our laws. Ratana knew what he was doing and has escaped with no consequences, Watch this space. | Dick |
| I have maintained for twenty years that our judiciary is corrupt and here is the heart of the matter. | Rob |
| Shocking outcome, really shocking | Hilary |
| The guy committed a number of crimes and should have been tried, found guilty, and punished | Terry |
| This is extremely disturbing. Hopefully the government steps in and takes steps to remove any reference of this type to Tikanga. One Nation,, one law for all!! | Carl |
| The Crown has acted irresponsibly. | Dave |
| Cut the powers of activist judges | Peter |
| YES WHY NOT??????????????????? We know why not, seems we have now arrived at a two law country. At last it is out in the open, one side can do what they like and the other side pays for it. Time we had some impartial judges that judge on crime not colour. Unfortunately this group of unsure IQ levels give their cousins and family a bad name. This would not have happened 50 years ago, they would have been locked up and their families would have been embarrassed. This is part of the reason for the NZ brain drain to Australia, wake up those in government and act your age. | rod |
| Definitely should have gone ahead. | Jim |
| Stupid in the extreme | Alan |
| Vandalism is not a cultural issue | Andrew |
| New Zealand laws have applied equally to all citizens of New Zealand since the Treaty of Waitangi | AndersE |
| Definitely an absolute act of vandalism. If a pakeha had done something like that look out !!!!! | Mike |
| Crazy judges ! | Patrick |
| They should be in jail | Allan |
| Why shouldnt it? | Shane |
| The law has been broken ..end of!!!!!! | Chris |
| One law for all citizens. Stop this arrogant patronage of Maori as if they are victims of somedark conspiracy. Why are these judges accepting the Tikanga ‘evidence’ when the , by inference, are also accepting that sovereignty wasn’t ceded. If that is correct then their very warrants to adjudicate the law, particularly over Maori, are suspect as being issued by a bogus regime. Patently wrong. | Francis |
| The dismissal was a joke & a slap in the face for decent law-abiding citizens. Can’t understand Crown Prosecution actions. | John |
| Flavell is a b/s artist of the highest | Chris |
| One law for all | George |
| It’s One Tree Hill all over again | Ian |
| Currently apartheid rules in NZ, an appalling state of affairs. | John |
| Tikanga was never the law of the land, it was as every chief saw it, on the day, until he had a thought change, or was deposed | murray |
| Simple, one law for all | Peter |
| why is every pakeha sooo scared of being called a racist. | mike |
| One rule for them and prosecution for us!!!!! | David |
| We are all equal under the law. Would a non-tribal person have been afforded the same dismissal by this ‘judge’? Judges too, should be held accountable for their decisions! | Martin |
| Is anyone surprised at the decision, just look at our courts and so many rulings unbelievable . | Chrissie |
| Damn right, there is too much of this going against the law because of so-called Maouri rights. | Fraser |
| Of course it must go ahead – if it doesn’t it is simply opening the door to further illegal actions and likely on an even great scale that seen here. | Roger |
| No consequences – more of the same! That was SO WRONG.. how can we expect law and order from that? | Helen |
| These “judges” should be whacked on the snout. | Mick |
| Another step towards a third world justice system | Clive |
| An absolute disgrace in my opinion. | Russell |
| Disgusting | Barbara |
| He probably however would still have won. | Linda |
| I am absolutely sick of this alternate justice for Maori offenders, let alone co-governance being thrust upon us at every step. Until useless Luxon steps up and does the job he was elected to do I will never be voting National again – they promised a reversal but its getting worse daily. | Mike |
| It should have been hung | Mike |
| Disgusting decision | Lynn |
| What a travesty of justice! NZ Govt, get your selves together and do what you promised, stop this racial divide, and stop the judicial activism. | Sue |
| This country is going weak and giving in to the lefties. I saw it happening in Australia much to the disgust of local Aboriginals that I knew | Walter |
| An open and shut case. This misguided character should be in prison. | Grant |
| It is not acceptable that a paper on “tikanga” apparently stopped the case and the charges were dismissed. We are told evidence was there to support the charges. Parliament must act, promptly to stop this systemic rot being forced into the justice and Judicial system or lose even more credibility. If there was some mitigation then the Judge could have heard that at sentencing. The Judges have over reached and now the Justice system and Crown Law are letting us down as well. Not good enough! | Peter |
| It’s disgusting that this didn’t go ahead. This is unacceptable! What is happening to New Zealand when people are now allowed to vandalise public property and there are no consequences. If it was a European, would they have got off scott free – I bet my bottom dollar they wouldn’t have!!!! | Glenda |
| Without a doubt. A woeful display of ignorance by a so called Judge who neds to get about in the real world. | Garry |
| Clearly it was an act of vandalism and wilful damage | Gordon |
| this is disgraceful conduct on the part of NZ’s judiciary and crown law….the lot of them should be sacked and replaced. It totally erodes my trust in the system – and whats worse is that the taxes I pay pay their bloated salaries. They’re up there (down there) with TVNZ in terms of trustworthiness | sacha |
| The Judge should be the only person dismissed with this decision. | Chris |
| This is part of racism. Maori favouritism. | Heather |
| They broke the law so should be charged and prosecuted. To hell with this jumbo jumbo spiritual cultural rubbish. | Clive |
| religion should not be part of law. It was in the public interest to prosecute. | Mat |
| One law for all living in New Zealand. | James |
| One people, one law, one country | Marilyn |
| There must be equality under the law. Anything less is arbitrary and in contradiction of the contravenes the sovereignty of parliament. | Graeme |
| Put Tikanga on trial to expose the made up racist BS it is. ACT should run on this at Nov election. | Glenn |
| This is mindless or should I say madness. So it’s okay to deface any euprean work, but heaven forbid anyone for cutting down one of Maoris grotesque Maori sculptures. Why don’t we go out and cut a few of these crap things down, after all we are only showing our displeasure of them | Peter |
| The National Party are the problem, useless and gutless. When are Potaka and Goldsmith to say/do their job of reviewing statutes, seemingly dekay/delay until too late to act in this parliament. | Roger |
| Tikanga is not part of law. | Grahame |
| one law for all | John |
| Simple democratic justice | Harvey |
| The truth must have got to the heads of these criminals | Doug |
| Public property of any kind, if deliberately damaged for whatever reason and the offender clearly identified should be a punishable offence irrespective of any mitigating circumstances. | Mike |
| Surely it is not one’s culture to deface another’s property | Sue |
| Laws are for everyone. | Peter |
| A major tenant of Justice is that it must be seen to be done to maintain Public trust. In this case no justice has been served, rather this judgment has simply reenforced to all new Zealanders that we have a 2 tier, apartheid system still in-place, despite the words from Luxon that he would remove Apartheid from all levels of the NZ government. So Luxon has proven himself to be as adept at lying as Jacinda. And he expects he’ll get reelected! | John |
| Racist tikanga lies | Bruce |
| United we stand divided we fall – The same law must apply to all citizens | Leeanne |
| If our National lead Coalition Govt doesn’t come down hard on these wayward Judges and the NZ Justice system on banning Maori Tikanga in courts and in fact in all facets of New Zealand’s law and local politics NZ is doomed. | Wayne |
| Obviously guilty of defacing the treaty so should pay the price | Peter |
| The current result is unbelievable | Denise |
| How do we turn back the clock? is it too late? | Ian |
| This case outcome sets a very bad precedent and leaves the door wide open for similar incidents to go unpunished. | Barrie |
| Disgraceful! | Graham |
| there should never be maori tikanga in the Law of New Zealand… | Raewyn |
| Pure reverse racism | Charles |
| Whats wrong with this National lead Govt They promised to get rid of all this Maori crap. They have just lost my vote. Luxon if you are wondering why your pollimg is crap start fronting up on your pre-election promises !! | Richard |
| Why are these radical lefty racists, often dismissed? as… not in the public interest….what?and the Police, would not have been happy, having their precious time being wasted, with the amount of crime, that they have to deal with, are the judiciary staff `Bought and paid for? Waste of taxpayers money? | David |
| Of course it should have gone ahead but look where the Judiciary are drawn from and we all know what the result would have been. The country is stuffed but please God Defend New Zealand! | Bruce |
| A criminal act was committed. He should have had a trial and a consequence instead he carries on as if nothing happened. Disgraceful! | Lynne |
| It’s not her racial disgrace | Lindsay |
| Government must stand up and remove tikanga use from EVERYTHING. It has become a get out of jail free card. All our court representaves using this must be reprimanded or dismissed immediately. Surely this is treason? | Allan |
| Everyone in NZ is subject to our laws with no cultural exceptions | Michael |
| Wilful damage. | Mark |
| ABSOLUTELY | David |
| Should be euthanised | chris |
| They we caught red handed Guilty and punishment neede | Don |
| Disgracefuldecision time they were sacked | Errol |
| One law for all | Lynton |
| All aided and abetted by Te Papa themselves. The national museum itself has become a national disgrace. | Tony |
| No one is above the law. | Ann |
| Beyond dispute it should have gone ahead . Tikanga is NOT the law and MUST NOT be treated by activist lawyers , the Solicitor General and the clearly numerous activist members of the Judicial system/ Judiciary , as if it is. Government has a responsibility and duty to change any relevant legislation to preclude this happening and to to stamp it out . Further, Government must clean out the Judicial System / Judiciary and Government Departments of the activists who have infiltrated them – fully carrying through on the problems Muriel Newman has identified and defined . The Treaty of Waitangi is crystal clear – it mandates equality of citizenship before the law. Maori signed up to that knowingly and willingly and must be held to it accordingly. An excellent post by Dr Newman. Unarguable. Tikanga IS NOT THE LAW ! | Hugh |
| One law for all –or our society will fail. | william |
| who do you vote for this year to stop such crap as this continuing. it is of real concern! | Fred |
| In my opinion as the term “tikanga” has no definition it cannot be used to determine a legal outcome. If challenged on appeal the meaning can be changed to encompass any outcome wanted by the opposition. of course the prosecution should have gone ahead. They broke the law!!! | Bruce |
| Unbelievable! I can’t believe where this country is heading. What happened to paying for your crimes? I bet if I got up there and defaced an exhibit they wouldn’t be so lenient! | walnetta |
| Jail the pig. | Evans |
| Can I as a European also use tikanga as an excuse.if not why not | richard |
| If that had of been a white person defacing a Maori document all hell would have broken loose I’m getting fed up with the so called Maori getting away with almost everything you can think of when in actual fact they have very little Maori blood so what about the majority of the other ethnic side it’s a JOKE | Peter |
| One rule for all citizens of NZ | Btuce |
| Absolutely no doubt it should have gone ahead – if it had been the Maori version defaced by a European……..!! The case would already have been heard and the offender in prison! | Geoffrey |
| Of course it should have proceeded, ditto prosecution by the NZ Police of the flagrant breach of the Marine Reserves Act by local iwi who erected the po at the Poor Knights islands. | Boud |
| We cannot have people being convicted for mean post online & actual crime being committed being released under hocus, pocus law making | Tracy |
| Of course he should be charged, it’s a crime against the law and the people of New Zealand. | Casey |
| Just another straightforward case, overiden buy Maori bullshit. | Ron |
| NZ has a third world judiciary now | Ken |
| For the trial to be dismissed on the grounds it was is racist. | Margaret |
| What idealistic moron of a judge went against common sense and released the offender? Would this have been the outcome if the offender was another ethnicity??? | Peter |
| Not acceptable in a democratic society. To deface any cultures beliefs in such a way is unacceptable. This supports violence and agitation against all others culture and person. | Nicole way |
| If they were not Maori they would have been convicted and be given a term in Jail. It is time that Judges who pander to Maori are removed from office. | Steve |
| We have a weak judicial system. It seems to have become entwined with political parties | Rex |
| Thank you NZCPR for putting into words what I am increasingly getting concerned about. | Maurice |
| By dismissing the case the lawyers have clearly set NZ on the road to an Apartheid nation. | Warren |
| We are now two Nations. Maori and Other. | Grant |
| String them up!! | colin |
| If we are to honour the Treaty, which to me in 2026 means respect each other, then we must respect the law of the land and allow it to take it’s course. | Peter |
| Lawbreakers should be tried. | Arthur |
| Absolutely | Ian |
| This guy is a serial protester appearing at any protest regardless of topic to claim he is working and entitled to a benefit for him and his 3 kids. this is the guy that the GREENs promoted to chair the Nelson climate forum. | GARRICK |
| The coalition’s stance on water is going the same way – into the toilet. So much for election promises. | Phil |
| One law for thee, but not for me, eh? Should have been tried and sentenced for this racist vandalism. | Andrew |
| This racist garbage has been condoned by racist governments for around a decade, the tax slaves pay the price through various forms, in this particular case by justice not been served and the cowardly judiciary cutting the legs off the police. The judiciary needs to be charged with wasting police time and resources. If any other racial group had carried out this criminal act, “you gone”. When are the tax slaves going to see value for their money? | larry |
| Of course the trial should have proceeded. It is the judge who should be dismissed and the Crown Solicitor withdrawn from Luke Cunninghams! | Alan |
| Jail him | Peter |
| No one has the right to vandalize and destroy our History .. one way or the other. History is innocent. Vandalism is not. | Charlotte |
| IF you or I did it then we would have been charged but sadly I am not a Maori | Warren |
| And jailed for a long time ! | Peter |
| Tikanga is a load of crap | Brian |
| No racial bias please. | Doug |
| One rule for all | Brian |
| Would the charges have been dismissed had the protester been a white person? | Lawrence |
| We must always have one law for all. | pdm |
| The law is the law. | May |
| Defacing a national archive should attract jail time at the least. | Guy |
| appeasement of this type is weakness | Gavin |
| Same rule for everyone! | Bryan |
| The protestors that painted over a rainbow crossing in Auckland were fined $16,000.00. | Rose |
| If it was the other way round all hell would have broke loose. | Allan |
| Maori Health, Maori Law, Maori Country, and finally, the desired outcome, Maori apartheid, funded by Maori Money. Who would have thought | Kevin |
| All of the offenders should have gone to trial & be given the maximum sentences available, this would then hopefully act as a deterrent to others. All of the pro Maori activist judges should be immediately dismissed & barred. | david |
| It’s a embarrassment and disgrace of the whole legal system and the government that allows it to happen | chris |
| Racial divide is beyond repair in the tiny lost country of New Zealand….Sad state of political affairs and the lost Rule of Law. | Chris |
| if the defendant was not of maori ethnicity would the judge ruled similarly, i don’t think so. everyone should be treated the same.one law for all. | ian |
| the rule of law should apply to all regardless of race, greed, or political affiliation | Peter |
| The use of cultural excuses spotlights the inadequacy of the defense. | Jim |
| The truth hurts !!! Of course ALL involved should have been prosecuted heavily. History is being warped to fit the Maori agenda and the treaty being is being used to qualify all manner of past wrongs or rights. Maybe it would be OK if it was the correct version of the treaty BUT IT”s NOT !!! This was all started in 1975 when the stupid Government agreed to the introduction of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 and the indoctrination by one Jacinda Ardern. Like my fellow senior citizens I am glad to be elderly as we will not live to se NEW ZEALAND go further down the gurgler. | Alan |
| Why does the govt. not apply the laws of the land as it is written and is intended to be applied and used for the unity of the country. Why have laws at all that confuse the general population . Teach the children (right from wrong) when they are young and they will not depart from it when they grow older. | Henk |
| Too much … too often … too many corrupt or stupid judges! | Rod |
| without doubt should have gone ahead, & the proscecutor should fired. where’s his brain?? | Chris |
| ONE law for needs to be enforced. Woke judges need to be debated. | RICHard |
| Racist justice at its worst | Richard |
| Ifawhiteyhaddonethistheywouldhavebeenlockeduporheavleyfined. | Phil |
| You summed it up beautifully – The rule of law is being undermined. Problem is with a compliant media many Nz’s remain blissfully unaware of this. | Glen |
| Blatant activist decision by a judge that clearly should not be a sitting judges | Terry |
| One Law for ALL | Brian |
| A crime was committed, therefore he should have been prosecuted. | Gavin |
| What a little corrupt country nz has become. I am so disillusioned and am no longer a proud kiwi and whilst travelling abroad, if asked where I’m from, I just say Australian. I’m so embarrassed to be from this nation. | Corey |
| He committed a wilful act of public disorderliness deserving of a penalty | Lyn |
| Racism by part Maori grifters against the majority of other New Zealanders wins again. This is an appalling court decision that must be overturned and the judge who made it summarily dismissed. | Richard |
| Rule of law must apply. | Rod |
| It should have gone ahead and the perpetrators should have been charged according to their deeds. BUT — NZ is a pretty apple with a rotten core and this rotten core has to be cut out . | Michael |
| If a non Maori person had done what Ratana did. they’d have faced prosecution based on the evidence and sentenced according to the rule of law. Tikanga is a fancy new addition from Maoridom favoured by a few left leaning ‘activist’ judges who apparently forget as a country we already have our own laws. This Tikanga business has to stop. It will subvert natural justice as we know it in NZ. | John |
| One law for one and one for all! | Nev |
| Lawless behaviour should be treated as just that. There is no justification for it in our society. Taxpayers all pay Judges to uphold the law with fairness and respect for all NZ citizens. Perhaps we should be electing to pay a few less judges in our NZ system when they dont actually perform in our interests? | Andrew |
| This is another example of Maori using tikanga to get away all types of crimes | Gareth |
| Maybe sack all judges who do this | sandra |
| Gutless coalition Get rid of racist Tikanga judicial interpretation | Gary |
| They wilfully damaged and should therefore stand trial. By not putting the case before the courts, does this mean that anyone can go into tepa and damage anything they disagree with. I would bet not. | Alec |
| Not taking this to trial is two tier justice, | Steve |
| A woke judiciary – its a disgrace | john |
| Pathetic outcome, and a disgrace : | Donald |
| Setting this precedent is a worrying concern | Lorraine |
| Total miscarriage of justice. | Rodger |
| Criminality without consequence is not at all in the public interest. Our crown solicitor and the judge have granted a licence for activist maori to vandalise with little to no legal consequences. One law for all? No way. Tikanga = two tier justice. | Wendy |
| Normal procedure in a well -functioning justice system. Dismissal would seem irregular and unjustified…….in normal circumstances. Of course, Tikanga could upend a properly functioning system – hence its danger. | mary |
| Just more Maori apartied BS | Russell |
| Gone ahead – you need to have respect for other people’s property. | Kate |
| No Brainer – it should have gone ahead. The coalition is asleep at the wheel and is allowing the courts and the whole legal fraternity to stick two fingers up at the will of the people and those in our Parliament who actually represent us and our views. Of course there is a large number who don’t care what we want or need. | Doug |
| Of course it should have gone ahead but more and more often now it seems we just have to accept the findings of these activist judges and it seems nothing is said and can be done about it. This country better wake up soon because as more and more of this activism takes place more and more Kiwis will make a move to Australia and who can blame them. We really are on the way to tribal control and a third world country where only the oppressed from other lands will want to live (considering it better than where they came from) and the old NZ we once new and loved will be gone for good and what a disaster this new country will be . It is truly shocking. | Paul |
| One law for one people. | Jin |
| The trial should have gone ahead – have those Crown lawyers lost their senses?? | David |
| The introduction of tikanga into the law is appalling. The Coalition should have put a stop to it as soon as they were elected. And those Judges leading this incursion – because that’s what it is – should all be identified and removed from office. | Murray |
| Coalition MPs are not happy about the tikanga juggernaut, but they have done nothing to stop it. Shame on them. | Paul |
| Of course the protestor should have faced the charges, and the judge should have ruled that cultural considerations have no place in trial dealing with criminal offending. It is outrageous that the Crown Solicitor – or is it the former Solicitor General – withdrew the charges. What on earth were they thinking! | Hillary |
| What sort of a message do these legal people think it sends when someone defacing Crown property in a high profile Maori supremacy protest is let off scot-free? | Francis |