The Crown Law Office has updated its information on the number of judges in New Zealand that identify themselves as Māori.
Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
The Māori legal profession is calling for more indigenous judges, following the release of figures under an Official Information Act (OIA) request to Te Manu Kōrihi showing there are only 28 working in New Zealand's legal system.
There are approximately 243 judges sitting in the country's courts.
However, the Crown Law Office now says there are actually 29 Māori judges as there is one on the bench in the Court of Appeal, Justice Cooper.
The information given to Te Manu Kōrihi previously stated there were no Māori judges working in that court.
The office said when judges were appointed a long time ago, ethnicity was not always included, whereas it is now.
