One of Māoridoms most important legal scholars Moana Jackson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Porou) will receive an honorary doctorate from Victoria University of Wellington at a graduation ceremony in December.
The doctorate in law acknowledges the outstanding contribution Mr. Jackson has to legal scholarships around the Treaty and to debates about how Māori are treated by the justice system and their place in New Zealand society.
Victoria University Chancellor Sir Neville Jordan says, "As well as leading debates about the Treaty of Waitangi and the treatment of Māori by the criminal justice system, Mr Jackson is considered one of the world's foremost experts on indigenous peoples' rights.”
He also says, "Victoria is proud to count such a distinguished scholar and activist as one of its alumni, and is honoured to confer this doctorate on Mr Jackson."
Mr Jackson graduated with a Bachelor of Law from Victoria University in 1969 and from that moment onwards he has accomplished many things in the justice sector pertaining to the betterment of Māori. From co-founding Ngā Kaiwhakamārama I ngā Ture (the Māori legal service) and later Te Hau Tikanga (the Māori law commission) to investigation the justice system and its bias against Māori which led to the seminal report He Whaipaanga Hou.
Professor Rawinia Higgins, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Māori) says shes excited to host Moana at Te Herenga Waka Marae graduation ceremony as he is an inspiration to students at Victoria across a wide range of disciplines and programmes.