Prior to 1840, New Zealand was an unlawful state: the population consisted people both Maori and European, who were bound to no law. This led the British Government to present a treaty with to Maori. This was a form of legal documentation, which the British needed to secure the rights of Maori, by making the Crown in New Zealand the sovereign. The British saw it as a way to protect Maori interests, while several Maori viewed it as an acknowledgement of their mana.…
