Cook Islands Law Reports / CIATR

CIATR: Cook Islands Ariki Title Reports

Every decision on an ariki or mata‘iapo title from 1912 to the present, from the Land Court, the Native Appellate Court, the High Court and the Court of Appeal, with the evidence of custom given in each, so that the custom of succession as the courts have found it can be read case by case. Cited by the source record: (1934) 11 MB 168, (1950) 2 AMB 55, [2004] CKHC 3, [2016] CKCA 2.

On this page

The decisions, by title

The decisions are grouped by the title they concern and listed in date order within each. Each row carries its anchor, the court, date and judges, a link to the Report in the series form as it is issued, and a link to the judgment as delivered. The Native Appellate Court decisions of 1948 to 1950 on the Makea Nui, Tinomana, Tamaiva, To, Rio and Tumu titles are reported with their evidence on the Appellate Minute Book page and are not repeated here.

Makea Nui Ariki

Citation or sourceCaseCourtDecidedJudgesReport
Native Land Court, 29 September 1923Re Rangi Makea Ariki (deceased): succession to the Makea Nui Ariki title (Tinirau and Ngoroio claimants)Native Land Court, Avarua29 September 1923Ayson CJReport · Judgment as delivered
[1941] NZLR 484In re Tuvaine and another (the Makea Nui appeal): procedure on appeal from the Native Land CourtSupreme Court of New Zealand, Auckland9, 10 and 18 June 1941Ostler JReport · Judgment as delivered
Supreme Court of New Zealand, 18 June 1941Tuvaine (Pokino Rangatira) and Browne v Love: the Makea Nui Ariki title, the full judgmentSupreme Court of New Zealand, Auckland18 June 1941Ostler JReport · Judgment as delivered
High Court, Land Division, February 1995Re Makea Nui Ariki title (Inanui’s application)High Court of the Cook Islands, Land DivisionFebruary 1995Report · Judgment as delivered
High Court, Land Division, Applications 502/94 and 138/95Re Makea Nui Ariki titleHigh Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division1995McHugh and Dillon JJReport · Judgment as delivered
High Court, Land Division, Application 299/98Re Makea Nui Ariki title (Rule 350 application)High Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division1999Smith JReport · Judgment as delivered
High Court, Land Division, Applications 132/13, 416/09, 229/13 and 390/13Tavioni, Hunt and Macquarie v the Aronga Mana of Te Au o Tonga: the Makea Nui Ariki titleHigh Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division3 February 2014Isaac JReport · Judgment as delivered
[2016] CKCA 2Hunt and Browne, Tavioni and Macquarie v De Miguel and others: the Makea Nui Ariki titleCourt of Appeal of the Cook Islands19 February 2016Report · Judgment as delivered

Pa Ariki

Citation or sourceCaseCourtDecidedJudgesReport
[1990] CKHC 4Re Pa Ariki title (More Uri Atua Rua and others), Applications 259/90 and 333/90High Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division21 December 1990Dillon JReport · Judgment as delivered
[2004] CKHC 3In re Pa Ariki, Application 286/04High Court of the Cook Islands2 July 2004Greig CJReport · Judgment as delivered
[2005] CKLC 4Re Pa Ariki title (Pa Elizabeth), Application 286/04High Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division26 May 2005Greig CJReport · Judgment as delivered
[2006] CKCA 1Pa Moeroa Tetianui Ariki v Pa Marie Teariki Upokotini, CA 17/05Court of Appeal of the Cook Islands2 June 2006Barker, Henry and Paterson JJAReport · Judgment as delivered

Tinomana Ariki

Citation or sourceCaseCourtDecidedJudgesReport
Court of Appeal, CA 5/93Vaineritua v Hosking: the Tinomana Ariki titleCourt of Appeal of the Cook Islands4 and 5 July 1994; August 1994Barker, Hillyer and Henry JJAReport · Judgment as delivered

Vakatini Ariki

Citation or sourceCaseCourtDecidedJudgesReport
[1981] CKCA 1In re Ina Vakatini: the Vakatini Ariki titleCourt of Appeal of the Cook Islands2 and 4 September 1981Cooke P, Donne CJ and St John JReport · Judgment as delivered

Mata‘iapo titles

Citation or sourceCaseCourtDecidedJudgesReport
[1998] CKLC 2In re Ingram: the Te Pa Mata‘iapo title, Application 485/96High Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division27 August 1998Report · Judgment as delivered
High Court, Land Division, Application 186/2004Short v Hosking: the Tere Mata‘iapo and Maui Mata‘iapo titlesHigh Court of the Cook Islands, Land Divisionheard 22 March 2005Smith JReport · Judgment as delivered
High Court, Land Division, Applications 32/2013 and 112/2013Tuavera v Turepu: the Maoate Mata‘iapo titleHigh Court of the Cook Islands, Land Division9 October 2013Isaac JReport · Judgment as delivered

Reports in the series form are issued title by title; a Report link is live when its file is uploaded. The judgments of the Cook Islands courts are reproduced from the court record; the New Zealand Law Reports page of In re Tuvaine is reproduced from the published report. Page last changed 27 October 2026.

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Southern Cook Islands Customary Law, History and Society. Volumes One and Two set out the customary law before Christianity. Volume Three shows how the mission years changed it. Volume Four shows what the courts did with it after 1888.

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