Chairman of Te Mana Whakahaere o Awanuiārangi
Chairman of Appointments and Remunerations Kōmiti;
Ngāti Awa representative
Appointment term expires: 31 May 2028
Justice Layne Harvey has been a member of the Establishment Committee of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi between 1994 and 1997 and was then a foundation member of Te Mana Whakahaere o Awanuiārangi since 1998. He was elected Deputy Chairperson in 2010 and then Chairperson in September 2020.
He graduated with LLB and MCom Law degrees from The University of Auckland in 1992 and 2000 respectively, was a foundation member of Te Rākau Ture in 1990 and was the inaugural Māori Student Support Co-ordinator in 1991 with Sharon Heta. He was in practice for 10 years between 1992 and 2002 with Simpson Grierson and Walters Williams, where he became a partner in 2000. His work included acting for iwi, hapū and whānau in Waitangi Tribunal claims and settlement negotiations and in the Māori Land and Appellate Courts, providing general advice to Māori organisations, working with Māori land trusts, incorporations and marae and with tribal post-settlement governance entities. He also provided advice on consultation with Māori to local authorities and corporates.
He received an Honorary Doctorate in Māori Development in 2015. He then became the first graduate at AUT University with a doctorate in Law in 2018, where he has been a Visiting Judicial Fellow since 2013 guest lecturing in Company and Property law. He also co-teaches Māori Land Law at The University of Auckland. In 2018 he co-authored Mataatua – te whare i hoki mai and contributed a chapter on the Ngāti Awa experience of raupatu in Te Pūtake o Te Riri. Justice Harvey has contributed a chapter on Māori land in Land Registration and Title Security in the Digital Age New Horizons for Torrens and on Māori land law and governance in Waking the Taniwha. Justice Harvey remains involved in tribal activities holding hapū wānanga and noho marae on tribal history and whakapapa. Justice Harvey has been a trustee of Māori land trusts, iwi authorities, Māori reservations and social service providers. He has been Chairperson of Te Reo Irirangi o Te Mānuka Tūtahi Trust, the Ngāti Awa iwi radio station since 1995 and is a trustee of Te Tira Whakaari Trust based in Gisborne which is involved in providing community-based education on the influence of Te Kooti Rikirangi.
In October 2002, Justice Harvey was appointed a Judge of the Māori Land Court a presiding officer in the Waitangi Tribunal. In September 2018, he was also appointed an alternate Judge of the Environment Court. Then in November 2021, he was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court, the first person of Ngāti Awa, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Te Whānau ā Apanui and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa descent to be appointed to the role.
Chairman: Justice Layne Harvey
Qualifications: PhD (AUT), D.MD (Hon. Causa), MCom Law (Auckland), LLB
Iwi: Ngāti Awa, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa