Dr Nin Tomas

When talking about the origins of the Centre and the work of Te Tai Haruru, we want to acknowledge our beloved colleague, Dr Nin Tomas, who passed in 2014. Nin was the first Māori person to earn a PhD in law and was the Law School’s most senior Māori academic. She was a founding member of Te Tai Haruru and led the Law School for many years in the development of initiatives in support of Te Ao Māori, Māori law students and Indigenous peoples’ rights globally.

The Nin Tomas Indigenous peoples and the law group – the precursor to the Centre - was established in her honour. Nin is a big loss to the Auckland Law School and we deeply miss her rigour, humour, intellect and support. We host the Nin Tomas Memorial Lecture on Indigenous Peoples and the Law in Nin’s honour each year.