Elias on Equality

New Zealand’s first female Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias, and presiding judge of the country’s Supreme Court, recently gave a lecture at the University of New Mexico School of Law on indigenous rights entitled, ‘First Peoples and Human Rights: A South Seas Perspective’. Elias explored why addressing indigenous land claims and interests continues to challenge legal systems where first peoples are a minority, comparing contemporary issues faced by Maori with those faced by indigenous groups in the United States, Canada, Australia and the Pacific region. Elias was named Chief Justice in 1999 and is known for her representation and defence of Maori in treaty claims and litigation concerns regarding  fisheries, land transfers, elections and other matters.