Stephen Winter & Chris Jones 
Magna Carta and New Zealand 
History, Politics and Law in Aotearoa

This volume is the first to explore the vibrant history of Magna Carta in Aotearoa New Zealand’s legal, political and popular culture. Readers will benefit from in-depth analyses of the Charter’s reception along with explorations of its roles in regard to larger constitutional themes.






The common thread that binds the collection together is its exploration of what the adoption of a medieval charter as part of New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements has meant – and might mean – for a Pacific nation whose identity remains in flux. The contributions to this volume are grouped around three topics: remembrance and memorialization of Magna Carta; the reception of the Charter by both Māori and non-Māori between 1840 and 2015; and reflection on the roles that the Charter may yet play in future constitutional debate. This collection provides evidence of the enduring attraction of Magna Carta, and its importance as a platform of constitutional aspiration.

Tabela de Conteúdo

1. Introduction: “… a document of our times.” Magna Carta in Aotearoa New Zealand; Chris Jones and Stephen Winter.- SECTION 1: REMEMBRANCE.- 2. Magna Carta and Memorialization: The Perils of Historical Anniversaries; Lindsay Diggelmann.- 3. Myths and History: The Treaty of Waitangi as “the Magna Charta of New Zealand”; David V. Williams.- SECTION 2: RECEPTION.- 4. Magna Carta and a Paradox of Authority; Andrew Sharp.- 5. Symbol and Myth: Magna Carta in Legal and Public Discourse about Law and Rights in New Zealand 1840-1940; Jeremy Finn.- 6.  The Politics of Magna Carta and the Ancient Constitution in New Zealand, 1642- c.1860; Geoff Kemp.- 7. The Myth of the “Māori Magna Carta”; Te Marie Tau and Madi Williams.- 8. Mekana Tata: Magna Carta and the Political Thought of Aperahama Taonui; Laura Kamau.- 9. The Utility of a Medieval Charter in New Zealand Litigation: The Case of the Magna Carta; Lindsay Breach.- 10. Magna Carta and the Righteous Underdog in Modern Popular Culture;
Anna Milne-Tavendale.- SECTION 3: REFLECTION.- 11. Magna Carta’s Promise: Strengthening the Declaration of Rights-Inconsistency; Stephen Winter.- 12. Mana & Magna Carta: Locating New Legacies for a Medieval Charter in Post-Colonial Aotearoa New Zealand; Chris Jones.- 13. Tear it up? Challenging the Charter; Stephen Winter and Chris Jones.- Appendix: Taken out of Context: Early Copies of Magna Carta in Aotearoa New Zealand.- Index.

Sobre o autor

Stephen Winter is Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. In 2015, he served as Deputy Chair of New Zealand’s Magna Carta 800 Commemorative Committee.





Chris Jones, is Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. His research explores the history of political thought in the later Middle Ages. He has also published on the legacy of medieval and Early Modern Europe in New Zealand.