July Events at the Law Library of Congress
Taylor Gulatsi
Please see the Foreign and Comparative International Law Webinar for July, provided by the Law Library of Congress.
Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EDT
Colonialization, Tikanga Māori, and an Unwritten Constitution: Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand's Legal System
Please join us for a Foreign and Comparative Law webinar titled “Colonialization, Tikanga Māori, and an Unwritten Constitution: Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand’s Legal System.” This webinar will be presented by visiting scholar, librarian, and American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Schaffer Grant recipient, Theresa Buller. New Zealand’s constitution is not found in a single constitutional document; it is one of only three countries without a formal written Constitution. Instead, the sources of New Zealand law reflect New Zealand’s history as a British colony, dominion, and independent nation, as well as the New Zealand Supreme Court’s acknowledgement in R v Ellis that tikanga Māori (Māori law and custom) is part of the common law of New Zealand. This webinar will discuss the sources of New Zealand law, the decision in R v Ellis, and the integration of tikanga teaching into a New Zealand undergraduate LLB. Register Here.