Waitangi Tribunal

The Waitangi Tribunal (Māori: Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti) is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is charged with investigating and making recommendations on claims brought by Māori relating to actions or omissions of the Crown, in the period since 1840, that breach the promises made in the Treaty of Waitangi. The Tribunal is not a court of Law therefore the Tribunal's recommendations and findings are not binding on the Crown, they are sometimes ignored, for instance in the Foreshore and Seabed dispute.

In 1975 protests about unresolved Treaty of Waitangi grievances had been increasing for some time, and the Tribunal was set up to provide a legal process for the investigation of those grievances. Originally the Tribunal could only investigate grievances since 1975, but in 1985 a law change meant the Tribunal's jurisdiction was extended back to 1840.

The inquiry process contributes to the resolution of Treaty claims and, in that way, to the reconciliation of outstanding issues between Māori and Pākehā.