This is no surprise

Chris Lynch reports:

Senior members of New Zealand’s legal community have voiced “grave concerns” over the coalition government’s proposed Treaty Principles Bill, urging Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Attorney General Judith Collins to abandon the legislation.

In a formal letter addressed to the Prime Minister and Attorney General, 44 King’s Counsel outlined serious issues with the Bill, which aims to outline the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

This is not at all surprising.

Advocacy and litigation over the meaning on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and how they apply has been a huge cash cow for lawyers. I’d say well into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Having Parliament legislate explicitly what the principles are would be a disaster for the legal profression.