Woodward Law is a Wellington-founded law firm now based in Woburn, Lower Hutt, operating at the intersection of te ao Māori, public policy and legal work. The firm strives to give meaning and effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in a practical and equitable way, providing access to justice for a diverse range of groups and individuals.
Woodward Law began as a small inner-city Wellington firm based in Druids' Chamber on Woodward Street, with initial clients mostly Māori land trusts and incorporations of Te Arawa and Tuwharetoa. This led to acting for the National Māori Congress, and in turn to representing Sir Graham Latimer and the New Zealand Māori Council for over 30 years. Woodward Law has grown to become one of the country's foremost providers of legal services in Māori law and Treaty law.
The firm specialises in public, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and environmental law, bringing thorough research and a commitment to historic justice to Waitangi Tribunal district inquiries, from Te Paparahi o te Raki (Northland) and the Central North Island to the current Porirua ki Manawatū inquiry. Woodward Law represents individuals and claimant groups in civil court forums including the Environment Court and Superior Courts, on matters from waterways pollution to complex trust and property disputes, working closely with a small team of highly experienced barristers. The firm has advocated successfully for Māori proprietary rights to natural resources before the Waitangi Tribunal, Privy Council and Supreme Court, and acts for claimants in contemporary Kaupapa Inquiries covering social justice, economic and policy issues, from the Māori electoral option and fisheries to equity in New Zealand's health and housing systems.
Now based in Woburn, Lower Hutt, Woodward Law has grown from a small inner-city Wellington law firm into one of New Zealand's foremost providers of legal services in Māori law and Treaty law. The firm operates at the intersection of te ao Māori, public policy and quality legal work, striving to give meaning and effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in a practical and equitable way.
Woodward Law's story began in Druids' Chamber on Woodward Street in inner-city Wellington, where its initial clients were mostly Māori land trusts and incorporations of Te Arawa and Tuwharetoa. That early work led to acting for the National Māori Congress, and in turn to a relationship representing Sir Graham Latimer and the New Zealand Māori Council that spanned over 30 years - a history that has shaped the firm's identity and specialisation ever since.
Today, Woodward Law specialises in public law, Te Tiriti o Waitangi law and environmental law, using an in-depth knowledge of tikanga alongside legal expertise and close attention to detail. The firm has brought its commitment to thorough research and historic justice to several of the Waitangi Tribunal's district inquiries, including Te Paparahi o te Raki (Northland), the Central North Island inquiry, and the current Porirua ki Manawatū inquiry.
Beyond the Waitangi Tribunal, Woodward Law represents individuals and claimant groups in civil court forums including the Environment Court and Superior Courts, covering matters from waterways pollution to complex trust and property disputes. The firm works closely with a small team of highly experienced barristers on these cases, and has advocated successfully for Māori proprietary rights to natural resources before the Waitangi Tribunal, Privy Council and Supreme Court.
Woodward Law also acts for claimants in the Waitangi Tribunal's contemporary Kaupapa Inquiries, which span a wide range of social justice, economic and policy issues - from the Māori electoral option and fisheries through to equity in New Zealand's health and housing systems. This work reflects the firm's broader commitment to access to justice for a diverse range of groups and individuals.
The firm's approach is captured in the whakataukī 'Toitū te marae a Tane, toitū te marae a tangaroa, toitū te iwi' - when the land is well and the sea is well, the people thrive. It's a philosophy that runs through Woodward Law's environmental and Treaty work alike.
Woodward Law is based at 19 Myrtle Street, Woburn, Te Awakairangi | Lower Hutt, and welcomes general enquiries by phone or email.