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Burial of James Takamore

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On the evidence I have heard, Tuhoe tikanga in its current form, has not adapted to accommodate a personal right on the part of an individual of Tuhoe descent, living outside tribal life, to make decisions for him or herself, or for their immediate family to make decisions on their own behalf, as to
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upheld the common law principle that the executor of a deceased person's will has both the right and the duty to dispose of the deceased. The court gave Takamore's wife permission to exhume his body, and return him to Christchurch, but Tūhoe members refused and police would not use force to carry
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whether the Court of Appeal was correct to hold that New Zealand law entitled the executrix to determine disposal of the body of the deceased and whether it was correct to hold that the executrix is entitled to take possession of the body of the deceased not withstanding its
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only twice in 20 years and expressing to third parties his identification as a "South Island Māori". After his death in 2007, a dispute arose whether he should be buried in Christchurch, as he and his wife intended, or in the traditional burial ground
141:, in the eastern Bay of Plenty. Clarke obtained a court order barring burial, but police arriving to enforce the court order found the burial already in progress and did not enforce it. The rationale given for burying in the urupa included: 137:, in which Takamore's sister and other members of her family expressed a wish to return James to his ancestral home; after the confrontation grew heated, Clarke left. The Takamore family took the body north to the family cemetery at 84:
through with the disinterment. In 2015 the conflict was resolved after court mediation in Christchurch and Takamore's body remained in the Bay of Plenty, though the details of the settlement have not been made public.
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The case led to new research on Māori customary burial practises, which had been dismissed by the Supreme Court with a 79-page judgement which acknowledged "significant cross-cultural misunderstanding" but upheld the
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where his or her body is to be buried. This is not to say that Tuhoe tikanga may not adapt in that direction in the future. That, however, is a matter for Tuhoe and not a matter for this court.
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Relatives who took the body of a man from his partner and children, claiming Maori custom, say they did nothing wrong and have no intention of returning it despite a court ruling against them.
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An August 2014 attempt to enforce the Supreme Count decision was halted when police refused to use force to overcome considerable local resistance to the exhumation.
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Ms Clarke should have fought harder to keep her partner in Christchurch and not left the marae when conversation between the two sides became heated.
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Police say they will enforce any order to exhume a man's body from a Tuhoe burial ground despite strong reservations expressed by some officers.
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which gives indigenous people's traditional practices legal weight. The court of appeal decision explicitly considered the declaration.
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in New Zealand, regarding the right to decide where a body should be buried. Legal judgment reflected tension between
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It was outrageous when it happened under publicity for the first time to the remains of comedian Billy T James ...
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If she wanted her husband to stay there, she should have stayed there, irrespective of what happened.
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Multi-party mediation in June 2015 led to a resolution and settlement that has not been released.
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Disputes over the disposition of bodies is not uncommon in cases of alleged domestic violence.
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The result was a split decision confirming Clarke's rights to determine disposal of the body.
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ruled that Clarke had the right to determine where Takamore was to be buried, with the judge,
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Opinion about the case was mixed, with a number siding with the Takamore whānau citing the
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Who decides where a deceased person will be buried - takamore revisited. Tomas, Nin.
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Takamore's North Island family travelled south to Christchurch for the
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In 1991, similar dispute broke out after the death of comedian
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COURT OF APPEAL OF NEW ZEALAND TAKAMORE v CLARKE 2011 NZCA 587
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The Treaty of Waiting and Maori Custom Law. Johnston, Kerensa.
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United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
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descendant whose whānau tried to have his body returned from
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in 2007, a dispute arose as to where he should be buried.
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The North Island family appealed against the ruling. The
123:(funeral rite) which was to be held at Te Whare Roimata 988:"Body-snatch bid blocked - National - NZ Herald News" 774:"Legal case over James Takamore's burial resolved" 434:"Legal case over James Takamore's burial resolved" 374: 372: 370: 1003: 414:Cowlishaw, Shane; Mussen, Deidre (4 June 2015). 274:in the Waikato, against the wishes of his wife. 590:"Whanau insist James Takamore's body stays put" 413: 904:"Editorial: Lessons for us all in burial case" 367: 512:"Chch man buried in defiance of court order" 878:"Billy T's two hearts laid to rest at last" 460:"Family row sees body taken before funeral" 128: 116: 107: 101: 67: 31: 486:"Body Snatch Case: Widow Reburies Husband" 758:. Newshub. 7 August 2014. Archived from 962:"Police ran out of time to stop burial" 1004: 850: 735: 711:"Fight over stolen body back in court" 619:"Court sides with widow in burial row" 87: 564:"Families firm as death divides them" 392:from the original on 25 February 2021 342:Yearbook of New Zealand Jurisprudence 22:was a family conflict and consequent 409: 407: 150:is here, we can't stretch it to the 106:) be buried at family burial sites ( 910:. 10 September 2007. Archived from 756:"James Takamore exhumation delayed" 223:heard the case on the grounds of: " 133:, there was a confrontation at the 13: 1012:Supreme Court of New Zealand cases 295: 270:. James was buried at his tribe's 187: 14: 1048: 674:"James Takamore Body Snatch Case" 404: 327:Ownership of tupapaku. Tomas, VC. 277:A previous similar case involved 45:James Takamore was born into the 851:Bidois, Vanessa (30 June 2000). 738:"The battle over James Takamore" 645:"Police prepared to exhume body" 257: 233: 214: 980: 954: 929: 896: 870: 844: 830: 812: 794: 780: 766: 748: 729: 703: 692: 666: 637: 611: 853:"Healing hope in Billy T rift" 736:Kinita, Dana (9 August 2014). 582: 556: 530: 504: 478: 452: 426: 127:in Christchurch. Prior to the 1: 360: 165: 92:After his sudden death of an 322:Supreme Court of New Zealand 302:CA 525/2009 Takamore v Clark 241: 200:were prepared to enforce an 81:Supreme Court of New Zealand 7: 538:"Burial defies court order" 10: 1053: 345:Volume 11/12 (2008-2009). 196:ruled for Clarke and the 316:30 December 2012 at the 100:custom requires bodies ( 20:burial of James Takamore 1037:2012 in New Zealand law 331:New Zealand Law Journal 992:The New Zealand Herald 824:The New Zealand Herald 806:The New Zealand Herald 353:New Zealand Law Review 185: 129: 117: 108: 102: 68: 32: 180: 994:. 30 September 2012. 762:on 21 December 2016. 38:) and English-based 1032:2012 in New Zealand 1027:2011 in New Zealand 826:. 19 December 2012. 380:"Takamore v Clarke" 272:Tūrangawaewae Marae 88:Dispute over burial 72:) of his family in 61:, returning to the 908:New Zealand Herald 884:. 29 November 2003 742:Rotorua Daily Post 651:. 25 November 2011 625:. 23 November 2011 320:decision from the 304:decision from the 334:233-236 Jul 2008. 1044: 1022:2012 in case law 996: 995: 984: 978: 977: 975: 973: 958: 952: 951: 949: 947: 933: 927: 926: 921: 919: 900: 894: 893: 891: 889: 874: 868: 867: 865: 863: 848: 842: 841: 834: 828: 827: 816: 810: 809: 798: 792: 791: 784: 778: 777: 770: 764: 763: 752: 746: 745: 733: 727: 726: 724: 722: 707: 701: 696: 690: 689: 687: 685: 670: 664: 663: 658: 656: 641: 635: 634: 632: 630: 615: 609: 608: 603: 601: 586: 580: 579: 577: 575: 560: 554: 553: 551: 549: 534: 528: 527: 525: 523: 508: 502: 501: 499: 497: 482: 476: 475: 473: 471: 456: 450: 449: 447: 445: 430: 424: 423: 411: 402: 401: 399: 397: 391: 385:. 2012. 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James 259: 256: 243: 240: 235: 232: 216: 213: 189: 186: 167: 164: 163: 162: 156: 89: 86: 53:tribes in the 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1049: 1038: 1035: 1033: 1030: 1028: 1025: 1023: 1020: 1018: 1015: 1013: 1010: 1009: 1007: 993: 989: 983: 967: 963: 957: 942: 938: 932: 925: 914:on 8 May 2023 913: 909: 905: 899: 883: 879: 873: 858: 854: 847: 839: 833: 825: 821: 815: 807: 803: 797: 789: 783: 775: 769: 761: 757: 751: 743: 739: 732: 716: 712: 706: 700: 695: 679: 675: 669: 662: 650: 646: 640: 624: 620: 614: 607: 595: 591: 585: 569: 565: 559: 543: 539: 533: 517: 513: 507: 491: 487: 481: 465: 461: 455: 440:. 5 June 2015 439: 438:radionz.co.nz 435: 429: 421: 417: 410: 408: 388: 381: 375: 373: 371: 366: 355: 354: 350: 347: 344: 343: 339: 336: 333: 332: 328: 325: 323: 319: 315: 312: 309: 307: 303: 300: 299: 293: 290: 288: 284: 280: 275: 273: 269: 265: 258:Similar cases 255: 253: 247: 239: 234:Confrontation 231: 228: 227: 222: 221:Supreme Court 215:Supreme Court 212: 210: 205: 203: 199: 195: 184: 179: 177: 173: 161: 157: 155: 153: 149: 144: 143: 142: 140: 136: 131: 126: 121: 120: 113: 110: 104: 99: 95: 85: 82: 77: 75: 70: 64: 60: 57:but lived in 56: 55:Bay of Plenty 52: 48: 43: 41: 36: 35: 29: 25: 21: 16: 991: 982: 970:. 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Index

legal precedent
Māori
tikanga
common law
Whakatōhea
Ngāi Tūhoe
Bay of Plenty
Christchurch
North Island
Kutarere
Supreme Court of New Zealand
aneurysm
Ngāi Tūhoe
tangi
marae
funeral parlour
Kutarere
cord
South Island
High Court
John Fogarty
Court of Appeal
police
exhumation
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Supreme Court
common law
Billy T. James
Muriwai
Tūrangawaewae Marae

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